"Game of Thrones" creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss have exited their planned Star Wars series over a year since Disney and Lucasfilm first announced they were joining.
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Whether you're seeking a lucrative new career or want to be more handy around the house, The Ultimate Electrical Engineering Master Class Bundle can help. Get it for just $25 today.
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Kanye West's Carpool Karaoke edition is unlike anyone else's — not only does it take place 30,000 foot in the air, but it also comes with over 100 choir singers.
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Tens of thousands of Californians have been forced to evacuate as massive wildfires fanned by winds continue to burn through the state's arid landscape.
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There are more seed funds than ever claiming they don't want to just invest in mostly young, white, straight, cisgender male founders. So why are they?
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To combat police suppression tactics like the employment of tear gas, protestors have had to be creative, using simple, modern solutions such as the leaf blower.
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These indoor-outdoor cameras stream full HD 1080p video to the cloud. If you ever want to check in and see what's happening at your doorstep, peaking with your phone is a snap.
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The town of Green Bank, West Virginia, is home to a super powerful telescope that needs electromagnetic silence to do its important research. But is that even possible anymore?
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I needed to see for myself what had become of the Israel that for thirty-five years had existed for me in what I remembered, read and heard, so much of it ever more disheartening, disillusioning, and enraging.
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Half the country votes on machines made by ES&S. Many experts and election officials say the manufacturer remains dominant because there's little government regulation and almost no oversight.
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Former student leader of the 2014 Occupy movement "cannot possibly" comply with election laws, says government, citing his former advocacy of self-determination.
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After hours, he'd join his 23-year-old cardiomyopathy patient to play video games in his hospital room. He'll always regret the moment he forgot they weren't just gaming buddies.
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An ambitious new project hopes to scan the planet in full 3D. Here's why its creators believe this is such an important mission — and why time is running out.
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"The Count of Monte Cristo" is one of the most exciting novels ever written and on the other hand is one of the most badly written novels of all time and in any literature. Umberto Eco reflects on the merits of imperfect works of art, including "Monte Cristo," "Hamlet," and "Casablanca."
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Apple is making its big bid into the streaming market with the simultaneous November 1st launch of its Apple TV+ service and four star-studded shows. Are they worth a subscription?
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Boris Johnson loses his latest bid to hold an early general election and end the #Brexit paralysis, after failing to gain the required two-thirds majority backing in parliament https://t.co/8GrplLTHOGpic.twitter.com/eoC2PZCCZW
Riot police clash with demonstrators in Santiago hours after embattled President Sebastian Pinera announces a cabinet reshuffle in his latest bid to end 10 days of street demonstrationshttps://t.co/D1776cj3dZ
An aerial view taken on Oct. 27, 2019, shows the site that was hit by helicopter gunfire which reportedly killed nine people including Abu Baker al-Baghdadi, the leader of IS or so-called Islamic State, near the village of Barisha, Idlib province, Syria,Oct. 27, 2019.
New technology includes a smaller and much faster DNA-reader that troops can haul into combat aboard their helicopters and use while the smoke is still clearing.
U.S. Special Operations Forces cornered Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in a nighttime raid in Syria early Sunday morning before the Islamic State leader took his own life after triggering an explosive suicide vest he was wearing. Despite the carnage, the White House announced that American commandos quickly confirmed Baghdadi's identity by combining facial-recognition technology and fast DNA analysis.
The near-instant forensic analysis appears to be a dramatic demonstration of new capabilities U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) developed in part to address ambiguities that resulted from the commando raid that killed al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in Pakistan in 2011.
Al-Baghdadi, the leader of the so-called Islamic caliphate, blew himself up during the targeted attack on his lair in Syria's Idlib province in the early hours of Sunday morning. His lair was in a village known for smuggling, and he arrived there 48 hours before the raid
Islamic State (ISIS) caliph Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is dead, killed by an American airstrike in northwest Syria. President Trump announced this morning: "U.S. Special operations forces executed a dangerous and daring night-time raid in northwestern Syria, and accomplished their mission in grand style. The U.S. personnel were incredible."
But the question now should not be avoided: why was al-Baghdadi hiding so close to Turkey? Were the Turks protecting him? If not them, then who was?
It strains credulity that Turkey, with its interests in northern Syria, did not know he was there. Al-Baghdadi was killed in Barisha in the Idlib province, a town of no more than 2500 people right on the Turkish border. If the Turks didn't know that the world's most wanted terrorist was there, they're incompetent beyond measure. If they did know, they're complicit in protecting him.
Iraqi youth watch the news of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi death, in Najaf, Iraq October 27, 2019. REUTERS/Alaa al-Marjani
WNU Editor: There is a lot of criticisms directed at President Trump's decision to not inform Congress on the al-Baghdadi raid. But there is precedent where a leak to the New York Times resulted in ISIS Leader Al-Baghdadi escaping in 2017 .... ISIS broken, but leader slipped away due to leak, says key general (FOX News). The key part of this 2017 report ....
.... In a wide-ranging interview moderated by Fox News' Catherine Herridge, Thomas, who leads the Special Operations Command, said his team was "particularly close" to Baghdadi after the 2015 raid that killed ISIS oil minister Abu Sayyaf. That raid also netted his wife, who provided a wealth of actionable information.
"That was a very good lead. Unfortunately, it was leaked in a prominent national newspaper about a week later and that lead went dead," Thomas said. "The challenge we have [is] in terms of where and how our tactics and procedures are discussed openly. There's a great need to inform the American public about what we're up to. There's also great need to recognize things that will absolutely undercut our ability to do our job."
Thomas appeared to be referring to a New York Times report in June 2015 that detailed how American intelligence agencies had "extracted valuable information."
President Trump was right to keep this operation compartmentalized and top secret. There is a precedent of government officials and politicians leaking such information in the past, much to the harm to everyone.In this case the leaker was not caught.
Biggest threat to world peace? 27% named President Trump, 22% said Kim Jong-Un, and 15% tapped Vladimir Putin.
Somewhere, Bernie Sanders is smiling.
A new survey released by the Washington, D.C., nonprofit Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation reflects that, if the younger generation gets out and votes in 2020, those running for office on the far left have reason to be hopeful.
According to YouGov, which conducted the poll, capitalism, amid a widening divide between the haves and have-nots, has plunged in popularity from a year ago, with one out of every two millennials — ages 23 to 38 — supporting it.
Meanwhile, 36% of millennials polled say that they approve of communism, which is up significantly from 28% in 2018.
WNU Editor: I lived a good part of my life under communism/socialism. These millenials are going to be very disappointed that the life that socialists and communists promise will not be the paradise that they promise. The poll conducted by the Victims of Communism and polled by the research and data firm YouGov is here.
WASHINGTON — House Democrats moved quickly on Monday to bring their impeachment case against President Trump into the open, saying they would forgo court battles with recalcitrant witnesses and would vote this week on procedures to govern nationally televised hearings.
Representative Adam B. Schiff, the House Intelligence Committee chairman leading the inquiry, began the day by telling reporters that Democrats would not wait to fight the Trump administration in court as it moves to block key witness testimony. Instead, he warned that White House directives not to cooperate — like one that stopped Mr. Trump's former deputy national security adviser from appearing Monday morning — would simply bolster their case that the president had abused his office and obstructed Congress's investigation.
WNU editor: US House Speaker Pelosi is saying that what is going to be voted this week is not an impeachment resolution (see below tweet)?!?!?! So a vote to formalize impeachment isn't an impeachment resolution?
Speaker Pelosi, asked by @AlexNBCNews to comment on the impeachment resolution:
(Reuters) - The killing of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in a U.S. raid is a further blow to a jihadist group that once held a swathe of territory in Iraq and Syria, experts said, but the organization and its ideology remain dangerous.
Where once they confronted armies, the extremist Islamist group's adherents have in recent years staged hit-and-run and suicide attacks. In some cases, the group has claimed responsibility for atrocities such as bombings in Sri Lanka in April that killed more than 250 people.
Islamic State's involvement is not always proven, but even if the link is ideological rather than operational, it is still seen as a security threat in many countries:
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives this week will debate legislation establishing procedures for the next phase of the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Monday.
In a letter to her fellow Democrats, Pelosi said the measure would lay the groundwork for public hearings, which Republicans have been clamoring for, along with ways to set "due process" for Trump and his lawyers. It also will outline steps for various investigating committees to forward evidence they have collected to the House Judiciary Committee, which potentially could draft articles of impeachment.
* President attended Sunday's baseball game in Washington DC * Crowd booed when Trump appeared on video screen
Donald Trump once claimed he was courted by several major league baseball clubs in his youth but turned them down because they couldn't offer him enough money. On Sunday, baseball got its revenge.
The President attended Game 5 of the World Series between the Washington Nationals and Houston Astros at Nationals Park, a short journey from the White House. When Trump was shown on the video screens in the stadium he was loudly booed by fans. That, perhaps, was predictable: Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, Richard Nixon and both Bushes were all booed while attending baseball games as President. What came shortly afterwards was a little more personal in a city that is heavily Democratic as cries of "Lock him up!" rang out, a reference to the chants about Hillary Clinton used at Trump's rallies in the run-up to the 2016 presidential elections.
We have declassified a picture of the wonderful dog (name not declassified) that did such a GREAT JOB in capturing and killing the Leader of ISIS, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi! pic.twitter.com/PDMx9nZWvw
* President Donald Trump released a photo on Monday of the military working dog that was wounded while tracking down ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi * The K-9 fighter's name is believed to be Conan * Trump described the K9 fighter as a 'wonderful dog' and credited him for capturing and killing Baghdadi * Officials have not yet released the dog's name, saying it was classified * Al-Baghdadi detonated a suicide vest that killed himself and three children after he was cornered by U.S forces and the dog in the underground tunnel * The dog was injured in the blast but has since returned to duty at an undisclosed location
A military working dog that was wounded while tracking down ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has now been identified.
President Donald Trump released a photo of the 'wonderful dog' on Monday.
'We have declassified a picture of the wonderful dog (name not declassified) that did such a GREAT JOB in capturing and killing the Leader of ISIS, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi!' Trump tweeted.
The K-9 fighter's name is believed to be Conan, Defense Department officials told Newsweek.
Survivors and bereaved families express relief and say fight for justice must go on
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi led a movement that prided itself on mass killings and indiscriminate violence. His Islamic State ended thousands of lives across Syria and Iraq and galvanised fighters and supporters worldwide to carry out deadly attacks that were intended to horrify.
On Saturday night, Baghdadi killed himself and three of his children during a US special forces raid on his hideout in Syria. Around the world, survivors and families devastated by Isis have been digesting the news.
"Baghdadi died as he lived – a coward using children as a shield," said Nadia Murad, a member of Iraq's Yazidi minority who lost much of her family during Isis advances that UN investigators have described as genocide.
* Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley discussed the raid at Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's Syrian compound during a press briefing Monday * He said two men were taken prisoner and are being held at a secure location * Milley did not reveal any additional details about the prisoners or how they were connected to al-Baghdadi, but they are believed to have surrendered
Two prisoners were captured alive in the US strike that killed ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley announced that two people had been taken into custody and are being held at a secure location during a press briefing alongside Defense Secretary Mark Esper on Monday at the Pentagon.
Milley did not reveal any additional information about the detainees or how they were connected to al-Baghdadi, but they are believed to have surrendered during the raid.
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's remains have been disposed of at seat after blowing himself up in his Syrian compound on Saturday after being cornered by U.S. forces
* Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's remains were disposed of at sea after he blew himself up in his Syrian compound on Saturday in a U.S. raid * Osama bin Laden's remains were also disposed of at sea when he was killed in Pakistan in 2011 * Baghdadi's body was mutilated in the blast and U.S. troops conducted a DNA test using a small field kit to confirm his identity * They had DNA taken from his used underwear and a blood sample with them * Kurdish militia said they had a source undercover with Baghdadi who provided the samples this past summer
The remains of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi have been disposed of at sea as it is revealed that U.S. forces were able to confirm the ISIS leader's identity using DNA samples taken from his underwear and blood.
Baghdadi blew himself up after being cornered by U.S forces in a dead-end underground tunnel in his Syrian compound on Saturday.
His remains were then buried at sea, the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, Army General Mike Milley, revealed on Monday. Osama bin Laden's remains were also disposed of at sea when he was killed in Pakistan in 2011.
Baghdadi died in a US raid on a compound near the village of Barisha in north-west Syria
The US began to receive intelligence on the whereabouts of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi about a month ago, according to Donald Trump. Intelligence officials were able to scope out his exact location – near the village of Barisha in north-west Syria – two weeks ago, and Trump was made aware of the planned raid at the end of last week.
Moments after a team including the US president gathered in the White House situation room at about 5pm ET (11pm in Syria) on Saturday, eight helicopters – mostly twin-rotor CH-47s – took off from an airbase in northern Iraq.
The hunt for the Islamic State leader had lasted years until Iraqi officials got a break last month
Cornered in a dead-end tunnel, with a robot creeping towards him, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi had nowhere left to run. Dogs barked in the darkness, a US soldier called out … and then came the thundering explosion that killed the world's most wanted man – together with three terrified children he was using as human shields.
The US military finally caught up with the Islamic State leader in a remote hamlet of northwestern Syria, but not before he detonated a suicide vest strapped to his body as special forces troops disgorged from helicopters and crouched near the frugal stone house in which he was hiding.
Forensic specialists stood by, carrying samples of Baghdadi's DNA and the means to compare it with remains at the scene. They quickly matched what they had with what soldiers retrieved from the underground blast. Two hours into the raid, the attackers were able to confirm that they had indeed found their man. Some soldiers secured what remained of Baghdadi in sealed bags, another group ushered 10 children to the home of a bewildered neighbour, and yet more carried bits and pieces from the home they had destroyed to eight waiting attack helicopters.
* EU said this morning it has agreed to push Brexit date back to January 31, 2020 * Delay came as MPs prepared to vote on PM's bid to hold pre-Christmas election * Boris Johnson said Jeremy Corbyn has 'run out of excuses' for blocking election * Mr Corbyn ordered his Labour MPs to abstain on motion to stage a snap poll * PM failed to win support in crunch election vote tonight and moved to 'Plan B' * He will now unveil a one-line Bill in hope of backing from the Lib Dems and SNP
Boris Johnson paved the way for a fresh bid to force a pre-Christmas election tomorrow - despite seeing his latest bid blocked by Jeremy Corbyn.
The Prime Minister failed to secure the two-thirds majority in the Commons needed to trigger an early ballot under the Fixed Term Parliaments Act. Just 299 MPs voted for the motion, way short of the threshold of 434.
However, despite the blow, Mr Corbyn is now in danger of being embarrassingly outflanked as the SNP and Lib Dems are considering getting behind a new piece of legislation triggering a pre-Christmas election.
Al-Baghdadi reportedly killed himself after running into a tunnel during a US military operation in northwest Syria.
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or ISIS) leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was killed in a US military raid in northwest Syria, President Donald Trump confirmed.
During a press conference on Sunday, Trump said al-Baghdadi had been "under surveillance for a couple of weeks".
According to the US president, the ISIL chief died after running into a tunnel in the village of Barisha where he detonated an explosive vest, killing himself and three of his children.
U.S. troops tasked with guarding oil wells in Syria from Islamic State group terrorists could also face threats from President Bashar al-Assad's regime, which has long sought to retake the Al Omar oil fields in Deir al-Zour province.
The announcement that U.S. troops would protect the oil fields came from Defense Secretary Mark Esper at a contentious Friday meeting with allies at NATO headquarters in Brussels. Several NATO members there denounced the invasion of Syria by NATO-ally Turkey.
An Air Force X-37B spaceplane made a surprise landing at Kennedy Space Center early Sunday morning following a record 780-day mission conducting classified research
* The pilotless spaceplane made a surprise landing at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida early Sunday morning, according to US Air Force officials * It has been conducting research in the secretive Orbital Test Vehicle program * The spacecraft is one of two reusable, unmanned X-37B models that are capable of performing multiple long-term flights to and from orbit * Officials have disclosed few details about the newly-completed OTV-5 mission
An Air Force X-37B spaceplane has returned to Earth following a record 780-day mission.
The pilotless spaceplane, which has been conducting classified research in the secretive Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV) program, made a surprise landing at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida early Sunday morning.
'The safe return of this spacecraft, after breaking its own endurance record, is the result of the innovative partnership between Government and Industry,' Air Force Chief of Staff Gen David L Goldfein said in a statement announcing the landing.
'The sky is no longer the limit for the Air Force and, if Congress approves, the U.S. Space Force.'
Unmanned aircraft are set to become a big part of the Air Force's future.
* The U.S. Air Force plans to field a mix of manned and unmanned tactical aircraft--think fighters--in the near future. * Unmanned aircraft are cheap and can also take risks manned aircraft cannot. * A mix of manned and unmanned warplanes could help the Air Force field the numbers and lethality it wants to win future wars.
The U.S. Air Force is planning to field low-cost, unmanned "disposable" warplanes in the near future, designed to complement manned aircraft in the aerial battlefield. Unmanned aircraft can be purchased in greater numbers, growing the size of the Air Force's tactical aircraft fleets, and can be sent on missions too hazardous for manned aircraft.
PATUXENT RIVER NAS, Md. – U.S. Navy avionics experts will acquire three production lots of the third-generation helmet-mounted displays for the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter under terms of a $352.7 million order announced this week.
Officials of the Naval Air Systems Command at Patuxent River Naval Air Station, Md., are asking the Lockheed Martin Corp. Aeronautics segment in Fort Worth, Texas, for production lots 12, 13, and 14 of the F-35's third-generation helmet-mounted displays for the U.S. military services.
This advanced helmet-mounted display comes from a joint venture between Collins Aerospace in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and in and Elbit Systems of America in Fort Worth, Texas. It serves as the pilot's primary display system.
It blends head-up display (HUD), helmet-mounted display, and visor-projected night vision to enable pilots to target their weapons and maintain advanced spatial orientation while continually monitoring critical flight information. The F-35 is the first tactical fighter jet in 50 years without a traditional HUD.
Hong Kong authorities on Tuesday barred prominent democracy activist Joshua Wong from contesting local elections next month in a move that could reignite unrest in the protest-seized Chinese enclave.
“I become the only candidate banned from running in November’s District Council Election,” Wong tweeted.
In a separate statement issued Tuesday, the government says a candidate, who it does not name, was disqualified over comments he made about the semiautonomous city’s right to determine its own future. The authorities say the candidate’s political stance violated Hong Kong’s Basic Law, a mini-constitution that maintains the region is a part of China.
“The candidate cannot possibly comply with the requirements of the relevant electoral laws, since advocating or promoting ‘self-determination’ is contrary to the content of the declaration that the law requires a candidate to make to uphold the Basic Law and pledge allegiance to the HKSAR [Hong Kong Special Administrative Region],” the statement says.
Wong insists the government’s decision to bar him reflects the extent of Beijing’s interference in Hong Kong and deals another blow to the city’s political freedoms.
“It proved [sic] how Beijing manipulate the election with political cersorship [sic] and screening,” he tweeted.
Wong has repeatedly stated that he does not support Hong Kong independence, and his disqualification comes even as other democracy campaigners who support the protests have been approved. Yet as one of the most recognizable faces in Hong Kong’s democratic struggle, Wong’s candidacy in the upcoming polls was widely anticipated to be contentious. The 23-year-old former leader of the 2014 Umbrella Movement frequently criticizes Chinese President Xi Jinping and has fashioned himself into a de facto ambassador for the current protest movement as he flies around the world trying to drum up global support. In September, he testified before Congress, urging the U.S. to join Hong Kong’s fight for greater autonomy.
For Beijing, the protests are seen impinging on the Communist Party’s redline that Hong Kong not be used as a base for foreign interference, or for subverting the regime. Earlier this month, President Xi warned that anyone trying to split China “will end in crushed bodies and shattered bones.”
Wong, who has previously been barred from running in earlier elections, served several stints in jail in the aftermath of the 2014 movement’s failed bid for direct elections of the city’s leader. After his release this June, he immediately joined the latest round of demonstrations, going from the prison yard to addressing the movement’s activists and striking students who are largely leaderless.
Wong and fellow democracy campaigner Agnes Chow were arrested again on charges of organizing, inciting and taking part in an illegal assembly during a siege of police headquarters on June 21. They are both currently out on bail.
While the city’s district council elections typically revolve around local matters, the upcoming polls have taken on a wider significance as they are expected to serve as a litmus test for public support of the ongoing protests. District councils are presently dominated by pro-Beijing parties, but there is a widespread expectation that the establishment will suffer heavy losses in the coming race thanks in part to a surge in registered youth voters.
Public anger in Hong Kong has swelled as the city’s leader has yet to provide a substantive political solution to a crisis that has spiraled for the past five months. Initially set off by a contentious extradition bill, the movement has morphed into a wider ideological battle sustained by freewheeling, liberal Hong Kong’s fears of an encroaching autocratic Chinese government. The weekly clashes between a hardcore knot of demonstrators and police have become increasingly violent, and have weighed heavily on tourism and the city’s economy. The city’s financial secretary announced over the weekend that the region has fallen into a recession.
Hate speech targeted at minorities in the northeastern Indian state of Assam is spreading almost unabated through Facebook at the same time as the Indian government is stripping nearly 2 million people there of citizenship, according to a new report released Tuesday.
Posts targeting religious and ethnic minorities in Assam have been seen more than 5.4 million times, according to the global online advocacy group Avaaz, calling into question the success of the approach taken by Facebook since it was used to spread hate speech during the 2017 Rohingya genocide.
“I’m not sure what lessons Facebook has learned from the Rohingya crisis,” Alaphia Zoyab, a senior campaigner at Avaaz who led the team that wrote the report, tells TIME. “If they’re waiting for actual violence, that’s too late. They need to heed the warnings now.”
In August this year, the Indian government published its final list of citizens of Assam, leaving 1.9 million people off. The ruling Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) sold the exercise as a means of rooting out illegal immigrants from bordering Bangladesh. But rights groups said it risked making millions stateless and inflaming Hindu-Muslim tensions in the region.
The situation in Assam has drawn comparisons to the Buddhist extremist campaign against Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar which peaked in 2017, forcing more than 700,000 to flee their homes. In Hindu-majority India, Muslims have faced a surge in attacks since the BJP took power. In Assam, some 1.9 million people, many believed to be from the Bengali-speaking minority, are threatened with statelessness as a result of government measures aimed at removing “infiltrators” from the country. “We are very worried about something like the Rohingya crisis playing out again,” Human Rights Watch told TIME in August.
Bengali Muslims in particular seem to be the targets of hate speech on Facebook, according to Avaaz, which found posts on the site calling them “parasites,” “rats” and “rapists,” and calling for them to be exterminated.
After the Rohingya genocide, Facebook was criticized for not employing any Burmese-speakers able to detect and remove hate speech. Facebook said in 2018 it had not “done enough” to prevent the genocide, and had since “invested heavily in people, technology and partners to address the abuse of Facebook in Myanmar.”
But the Avaaz report, which focuses on hate speech in the Assamese language, calls into question whether Facebook’s systems to detect hate speech in languages other than English is working. “Facebook is relying too heavily on artificial intelligence to detect hate speech,” Zoyab tells TIME. “Our research shows that reliance is based on a false premise, because it assumes people are flagging hate-speech, which then teaches its artificial intelligence systems. That’s not happening.”
Facebook did not immediately respond to questions from TIME inquiring how many Assamese speakers it employs as part of its 15,000-strong team of content moderators.
Avaaz said it reported 213 of the “clearest examples of hate speech” to Facebook, but said that the site had removed only 96 of them for breaching its community standards. The report details one case where one individual inciting hatred against Bengali Muslims had his page removed by Facebook seven times, only to set up new accounts each time and continue posting.
“When we flagged the hate speech in Assam online using Facebook’s online reporting tools, Facebook sent us back automated messages saying that this does not breach their community standards,” Zoyab says. “Facebook keeps saying it has a zero tolerance policy toward hate speech, but Assam seems to prove that it’s a one hundred percent failure.”
“When you become stateless, you essentially lose your right to have rights,” Zoyab says. “Overall we just find Facebook is asleep at the wheel here in protecting the world’s most vulnerable people.”
(SANTIAGO, Chile) — Fresh protests and attacks on businesses erupted in Chile Monday despite President Sebastián Piñera’s replacement of eight key Cabinet ministers with more centrist figures and his attempts to assure the country he has heard calls for greater equality and improved social services.
Thousands of protesters crowded again into central Santiago, and one group set fire to a building that houses a fast-food restaurant and stores. Firefighters were battling the blaze.
Other looters attacked a pharmacy, and there was an attempt to set a subway station on fire. Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of people attempted to get home from work on free buses sent to replace trains out of service due to the burning of dozens of stations over the last week in Latin America’s most modern public transportation system.
By Monday evening the streets were mostly empty, with piles of detritus burning on street corners, and some residents and business owners trying to extinguish blazes with handheld fire extinguishers. At least a couple dozen glass storefronts were smashed and graffiti cursing Piñera and calling for revolution was sprayed on virtually every building.
Piñera replaced the heads of the interior, treasury, economy, labor and four other ministries with generally younger officials seen as more centrist and accessible.
“Chile has changed and the government must change,” Chile’s president said.
However, his government announced no policies Monday aimed at addressing 10 days of protests over deficient social services and the high cost of living in one of Latin America’s most prosperous and modern nations.
“A new Cabinet isn’t enough, we need real changes in health care, education, pensions,” said Omar Soto, 34, who runs a cellphone shop.
Protesters almost uniformly say they are frustrated with the so-called neoliberal model that has left Chile with region-topping prosperity along with a widely criticized private pension system, and two-tiered health and education systems that blend the public and private, with better results for the minority who can afford to pay.
Many Chileans talk of waiting a year for an appointment with a specialist, or families receiving calls to finally set up appointments for loved ones who died months earlier. Hundreds of thousands are hobbled by educational loans that can follow them into their 40s and even 50s.
“Last Friday we had a peaceful protest and being peaceful they didn’t listen to us,” said Sebastián, a 25-year-old welder who declined to give his last name saying he fear authorities. “You have to get their attention somehow.”
Adding to protesters’ anger was a military crackdown on demonstrations and looting that has left 1,132 hurt, with dozens partially blinded by police or soldiers’ gunshot pellets, according to the National Human Rights Institute and the Chilean College of Medicine. The death toll from the 10 days of violence stands at 20, although it is unclear how many were killed by police and how many by looters.
The U.N. High Commissioner on Human Rights, former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, was sending a delegation to the country Monday to investigate the situation. Amnesty International was also sending a team.
From afar, Chile has been a regional success story — under democratically elected presidents on the left and right, a free-market consensus has driven growth up, poverty down and won Chile the region’s highest score on the United Nations Human Development Index, a blend of life expectancy, education and national income per capita. In 2010, Chile became the second Latin member of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, after Mexico.
Meanwhile, a 2017 UN report found that the richest 1% of the population earns 33 percent of the nation’s wealth. That helps make Chile the most unequal country in the OECD, slightly worse than Mexico. Piñera himself is a billionaire, one of the country’s richest men.
Three weeks after President Donald Trump ordered U.S. forces to pull out of northern Syria, American spy agencies are seeing disturbing intelligence. Turkish-backed militias, armed by Ankara, have killed civilians in areas abandoned by the U.S., four U.S. military and intelligence officials tell TIME. The officials say they fear that the militias committing those potential war crimes may be using weapons that the U.S. sold to Turkey.
These officials say they are concerned that worse could lie ahead. Turkey and its allies are deploying larger forces and bringing more significant weapons to the field than would be necessary to complete their publicly-stated mission. They have said that they plan only to maintain a security zone along a 18-mile wide ribbon of land south of Turkey’s border with Syria. “They’re far more than the Turks need to conduct the operations they’re supposed to be conducting,” one of the U.S. officials told TIME.
Fighting between Turkish and Syrian forces continued on Monday in the security zone as members of the Kurdish forces built defensive positions along the zone’s border inside Syria, one U.S. official told TIME. Two officials confirmed that those trenches and observation posts appear to be preparations for any Turkish-led advance into Kurdish-held territory after the ceasefire expires on Tuesday.
This intelligence has led some U.S. analysts to conclude that Turkey and its allies may be preparing to clear civilian populations from the area, which has largely been controlled by the Kurds, Ankara’s long-time enemies in the region. Turkish President Recep Erdogan told the United Nations on Sept. 24 that he planned to establish a safe zone across the border in Syria, and to resettle some of the 3.6 million Syrian refugees currently sheltered in Turkey. On Oct. 26, Erdogan said Turkey planned to “clear terrorists” from the so-called safe zone if Kurdish forces aren’t gone by 3 p.m. Greenwich Mean Time on Oct. 29.
U.S. officials are worried that a full collapse of the ceasefire on Tuesday, combined with a broad Turkish campaign to remove Kurds from the security zone, will result in wide scale war crimes. They are also worried that a humanitarian crisis, combined with renewed fighting, could accelerate the return of ISIS, which thrives on disorder.
U.S. intelligence agencies retain some sources in Syria, thanks to networks developed during America’s five-year deployment there, and the U.S. military is flying regular drone reconnaissance missions over the area. The scope of U.S. intelligence activity in the region has drawn renewed interest in recent days, in the wake of a U.S. raid on Saturday that killed ISIS Leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. The CIA, as well as Iraqi and Kurdish intelligence officers, tracked the ISIS chief by interviewing the wife of an al-Baghdadi aide and one of his couriers, and by recruiting local spies along the Syrian-Iraqi border.
The intelligence on a potential Turkish offensive in Northern Syria has come from a combination of human and technical sources, the officials tell TIME, and some of it has been shared with U.S. agencies by allied countries. The intelligence on the use of U.S. arms in the attacks on civilians remains inconclusive. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the fighting in Syria, declined to provide more details.
This intelligence is emerging as the U.S. struggles to manage the fallout from its precipitous retreat from Syria, which was announced Oct. 13, after Erdogan told Trump that Turkey was about to attack territory in northern Syria where U.S. troops were deployed. Trump gave the Pentagon and State Department no warning of his decision to pull the U.S. out of the area, and no time to plan an organized retreat or to negotiate a handover of territory. That has left U.S. military officials and diplomats scrambling to deal with the situation.
Among the principle challenges: managing the unpredictable Commander-in-Chief, two of the officials say. On Oct. 25, Trump reversed part of his Oct. 13 order to withdraw almost all of the 1,000 American forces from Syria. At the NATO headquarters in Brussels, U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper announced that Washington is sending a limited number of armored forces into eastern Syria. He described the redeployment as an effort to prevent the country’s oil fields from falling back into ISIS’s hands.
The announcement was perplexing. Protecting Syria’s oil fields in the Deir al-Zour province, where the troops are deploying, makes little strategic sense, two of the officials involved in the redeployment tell TIME. “The oil fields are small, we blasted them after Daesh [ISIS] seized them, and they will take years to rebuild,” said one official. So why leave forces there to protect them? “Talking about oil was the only way we could talk the President into keeping any U.S. military force in the area,” the official says. On Friday, after the plan to protect the oilfields was unveiled, Trump tweeted, “Oil is secured.”
On Oct. 27, Esper added that the new deployment of troops would not just be guarding oil fields; they would also engage in counterterrorism operations. “Despite Baghdadi’s death, the security situation in Syria remains complex,” Esper said at the briefing Monday. He said that the U.S. forces deployed in Syria “will continue to execute counter terrorism operations while staying in close contact with the Syrian Democratic Forces that have fought along side of us.”
But a residual force does not put the U.S. in a position to respond quickly in the region. If the ceasefire in the north collapses, the U.S. has no plan to intervene. U.S. Central Command had hoped to keep the rest of the 1,000 forces withdrawn from Syria just across the border in western Iraq, where it could continue to target ISIS and deter widespread instability. But the U.S.-backed government in Baghdad vetoed that idea and gave the troops a four-week deadline to leave.
U.S. officials are worried that a humanitarian crisis and renewed fighting in the region will invite a resurgence of ISIS, which operates best in chaotic situations. Many captured ISIS fighters remain in Kurdish custody in northern Syria. Trump appeared to dismiss the danger of a renewed terrorist threat Friday, when he tweeted, “ISIS SECURED”. Esper told reporters at NATO that the U.S. mission remains preventing a resurgence of ISIS.
There is no clear intelligence on how many suspected ISIS fighters have already escaped from prisons guarded by the Kurds in northern Syria, nor how many of the refugees held in camps in the area might have been radicalized during their stay in hardship conditions, the officials tell TIME. The minimum estimate of escapees is more than 100 already, said one of the officials, who added, “That’s a lowball, I’m afraid.”
The officials said their most immediate fear now is that Turkey may use its military incursion into the so-called safe zone as cover for a larger attack against the Kurdish population. “Even if the Kurds continue to withdraw peacefully that doesn’t mean the Turks won’t find a reason to act,” the same official said.
U.S. intelligence officials aren’t the only ones seeing evidence of war crimes. The human rights group Amnesty International reported on Friday that Turkish-backed Syrian forces have committed war crimes, including executions of Kurdish civilians. Some of the acts were photographed on mobile phones. Amnesty International said it had collected evidence from 17 witnesses. It cited reports by Kurdish-led health authorities in the region that more than 200 civilians had been killed by Turkish forces and their allies during the recent fighting and Turkey claimed that 18 of its civilians were killed in a cross border mortar attack.
James Jeffrey, the U.S. special envoy for Syria, told a House of Representatives hearing on Wednesday that the administration has asked the Erdogan government to answer questions about possible war crimes committed by Turkish forces and their allies. “We have several incidents we consider war crimes,” Jeffrey said. Both the Kurdish Red Crescent and the U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights have reported apparent human rights abuses during the Turkish offensive.
Congress is pushing for more details on the situation in Northern Syria. On Oct. 25, four U.S. senators sent Secretary of State Mike Pompeo a letter seeking information by Nov. 1 on reports that Turkish-backed forces used white phosphorus, a chemical weapon, against the border town of Ras al-Ain, as first reported by Foreign Policy on Oct. 17. In their letter, the four—Maryland Democrat Chris Van Hollen, Vermont Democrat Pat Leahy, Connecticut Democrat Richard Blumenthal, and Tennessee Republican Marsha Blackburn—said the report has “been substantiated by additional outlets, and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons has stated that it is aware of the situation and is collecting information with regard to the possible use of chemical weapons.”
The Senators also asked Pompeo if any weaponry supplied to Turkey by the U.S. has been used “in connection with the Turkish offensive in Syria, including in connection with the use of chemical weapons.”
For now, the best news for those hoping that international forces might quell the violence in Northern Syria has come from an unlikely source: Moscow. The Russian Defense Ministry said on Oct. 25 that Moscow has sent an additional 300 military police to the region and airlifted 20 armored vehicles to equip them. “The bad news is that they came from Chechnya,” said one of the officials. Russia brutally suppressed a series of Islamic uprisings in the predominantly Muslim Chechen Republic after it declared independence from Russia in 1991.
U.S. officials are left hoping those Russian forces are better than nothing. “They’re all that stands between the Turks and the Kurds now that we’re out,” one official says.
(BAGHDAD) — Thousands of students joined Iraq’s anti-government protests on Monday, as clashes with security forces firing tear gas canisters killed at least three demonstrators and wounded more than 100.
The students skipped classes at several universities and secondary schools in Baghdad and across Iraq’s majority-Shiite south on Monday to take part in the protests, despite the government ordering schools and universities to operate normally.
One of those killed was a 22-year-old female medical student, the first woman to be killed since the protests began earlier this month. Seventeen students were among the wounded.
Authorities later announced a curfew from midnight to 6 a.m. in the capital, as renewed protests there and across the south raged for a fourth day. A senior security official estimated that 25,000 protesters took part in the demonstration in the capital.
In a separate development, three rockets struck a large military base north of Baghdad that houses U.S. and Iraqi forces, according to another senior Iraqi security official. The official said there were no casualties, and that the attack is being investigated. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief reporters.
The demonstrations are fueled by anger at corruption, economic stagnation and poor public services. Despite its vast oil wealth, Iraq suffers from high unemployment and crumbling infrastructure, with frequent power outages that force many to rely on private generators.
On Monday, parliament voted to cancel all privileges and bonuses for the president, the prime minister, the Cabinet, parliament members and other senior officials. But lawmakers later pointed out that the move was unlikely to be implemented because the legislature did not actually amend the law governing such matters.
In any case, the move seemed unlikely to satisfy the protesters, who are calling for far more sweeping change.
“It’s a student revolution, no to the government, no to parties!” demonstrators chanted in Baghdad’s Tahrir Square, the epicenter of the protests. Protesters have camped out in the central roundabout and volunteers have brought them food, hoping to recreate the revolutionary atmosphere of similar rallies held across the region during and after the 2011 Arab Spring.
“We are protesting in solidarity with peaceful demonstrators against this corrupt government, the government that created divisions in Iraqi society and supported the rich at the expense of the poor,” said Sajad Ali, a high school student. “We demand the resignation of this government.”
Security forces have fired tear gas and stun grenades to keep protesters from crossing a main bridge leading to the Green Zone, home to government offices and embassies.
At least 72 protesters have been killed since nationwide anti-government protests resumed on Friday, after 149 were killed during an earlier wave of protests this month.
Iraqi security and medical officials confirmed the latest casualties on Monday. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to media.
(BOGOTA, Colombia) — Colombia’s capital city elected its first female mayor Sunday in what is being hailed as an important advancement for both women and LGBT rights. Claudia López won the race for mayor of Bogota on a platform promising to combat corruption and advance equal rights for minority communities.
The Alianza Verde candidate captured over 1.1 million votes, or about 35 percent of the vote, defeating runner-up Carlos Galán by 2.7 percentage points.
With her victory, López also becomes the first openly lesbian mayor of a capital city in Latin America, a region slowly advancing in improving LGBT rights but where long-standing cultural biases and inequality remain barriers.
“This is the day of the woman,” she said to a jubilant crowd. “We knew that only by uniting could we win. We did that. We united, we won and we made history!”
She vowed to continue uniting Colombians across the political spectrum and work to improve daily life issues like public transportation.
Many in the LGBT community praised López’s victory as an important step forward in a country where gay and lesbians still confront harassment. Earlier this year, a man was caught on camera pushing and screaming profanities at two gay men in their early 20s hugging and holding hands at an upscale mall in Colombia’s capital.
Blanca Duran, a former city politician, told the El Espectador newspaper that with López’s win, Bogota is “setting an example for the country.”
“It is showing that it is a city with respect, with diversity, in which we can advance rights,” she said.
Centrist and progressive party candidates won several important posts in Colombia’s local elections, the first since the signing of a historic peace accord with leftist rebels. Conservative former President Álvaro Uribe acknowledged his party’s setback, stating on Twitter that “I recognize the defeat with humility.”
(BEIRUT) — Syrian Kurdish forces said Monday they are increasing security at prisons and detention facilities holding tens of thousands of Islamic State militants and supporters, including foreigners, following the death of the extremist group’s leader in a U.S. military raid.
The heightened security also comes as Kurdish forces said they are continuing operations to hunt down IS leaders in Syria. Hours after the raid that killed Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in northwestern Syria, another attack based on Kurdish intelligence killed one of his aides and possible successors, Kurdish forces said.
If confirmed, the death of Abu Hassan al-Muhajir would be another blow to IS. U.S. officials had no immediate comment.
Forces from the Kurdish-led internal security agency were “on high alert” after al-Baghdadi’s death in anticipation of possible riots or attacks on the prisons and camps for displaced people in northeastern Syria where IS members or supporters are located, an official with the agency said.
One of the camps is home to 70,000 people, most of them relatives of the extremists. More than 10,000 prisoners, including 2,000 foreigners, are held in detention facilities in northeastern Syria.
Fear of chaos already was running high over the fate of those detained after this month’s Turkish military invasion of northeastern Syria, which ushered in major troop changes in the area. Turkey moved troops into areas along the border, while Syrian border guards were deployed in others.
Kurdish officials had said they needed to divert fighters and logistics to the front line to ward off the Turkish offensive. A shaky cease-fire is in place and an agreement to redeploy Kurdish forces away from the borders.
Security forces have been able to secure the prisons, according to another official with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to reporters.
News of al-Baghdadi’s death had not yet been formally announced to those in the camps on Monday, but many of them have telephones and news has most likely reached them.
Al-Furqan—APThis file image made from video posted on a militant website April 29, 2019, purports to show the leader of the Islamic State group, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, being interviewed by his group’s Al-Furqan media outlet. TU.S. officials said late Saturday, Oct. 26, 2019 that al-Baghdadi was the target of an American raid in Syria and may have died in an explosion.
President Donald Trump announced al-Baghdadi’s death in a nationally televised address from the White House on Sunday, saying he exploded his suicide vest while being pursued by U.S. troops. His death left IS without an obvious leader — a major setback for a terror organization that in March was forced by U.S. and Kurdish forces out of the last portion of its self-declared “caliphate,” which once spanned parts of Iraq and Syria.
Later Sunday, Mazloum Abdi, the commander of the Syrian Kurdish-led forces, said his group’s intelligence cooperated with the U.S. military to target al-Muhajir in a village near Jarablus in northwestern Syria. It was part of ongoing operations to hunt down IS leaders, Abdi said.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also reported al-Muhajir’s death, saying he was traveling in a convoy made up of an oil tanker and a sedan. The bodies of those killed were badly burned and it wasn’t immediately clear how al-Muhajir’s identity was confirmed.
The U.S. raid that killed al-Baghdadi, the shadowy leader of IS who presided over its global jihad and became one of the world’s most-wanted terrorists, took place just before midnight Saturday in Syria’s Idlib province.
It was a milestone in the fight against IS, which brutalized thousands of people in Syria and Iraq and sought to direct a global campaign from a self-declared “caliphate.” A military campaign by U.S. and allied forces led to the recapture of the territory the group held, but its violent ideology has continued to inspire attacks.
Syrian Kurdish forces spokesman Mustafa Bali said his fighters believe al-Muhajir was in Jarablus to facilitate al-Baghdadi’s travel to the area, which is administered by Turkey-backed fighters. “More (IS figures) remain hiding in the area,” Bali said Sunday.
Little is known about al-Muhajir, who assumed the role of a spokesman after his predecessor was killed in a 2016 airstrike. Al-Muhajir is a nom-de-guerre that indicates he is a foreigner, and he also was believed to be a possible successor to al-Baghdadi.
Trump’s decision to pull back U.S. troops from northeastern Syria raised a storm of bipartisan criticism in Washington, including statements that the move could help IS regain strength after its territorial losses. It also was viewed as an abandonment of the only U.S. ally in Syria, the Kurdish-led forces, who fought IS for years with the U.S-led coalition.
Trump said the troop pullout “had nothing to do with this,” and said Kurdish forces were among the many sides cooperating in the al-Baghdadi operation. Both Iraqi and Kurdish officials claimed a role, and the Turkish military also tweeted that prior to the operation, it exchanged information and coordinated with U.S. military.
(BUENOS AIRES, Argentina) — Argentina’s Peronists on Monday celebrated their return to power after conservative incumbent President Mauricio Macri conceded defeat in a dramatic election that swung the country back to the center-left, saw the return of a divisive former president and threatened to rattle financial markets.
As investors nervously eyed Monday’s market opening, thousands of jubilant supporters of Alberto Fernández and his vice presidential running mate, ex-President Cristina Fernández, waved sky-blue and white Argentine flags and chanted “We’re coming back! We’re coming back!”
“Today, Alberto is the president of all Argentines,” Cristina Fernández told supporters, some of whom brandished tattoos with her image and the image of her late husband and predecessor as president, Nestor Kirchner.
Electoral authorities said Alberto Fernández had 48.1% of the votes compared to 40.4% for Macri, with almost 97% percent of the votes counted. He needed a poll-topping 45% of the vote to avoid a runoff.
The election was dominated by the country’s economic woes and rising poverty, with voters rejecting austerity measures that Macri insisted were needed.
“The only thing that concerns us is that Argentines stop suffering once and for all,” Alberto Fernández told the crowd.
The 60-year-old lawyer said he would need the support of Macri’s administration to reconstruct what he called the inherited “ashes” of Argentina.
Earlier in the evening, Macri told disappointed supporters that he had called Alberto Fernández to congratulate him and invited him for a breakfast chat Monday at the presidential palace.
“We need an orderly transition that will bring tranquility to all Argentines, because the most important thing is the well-being of all Argentines,” Macri said.
Some worried that the Peronist victory would scare off investors and bring the return of interventionist policies that would only increase Argentina’s economic woes.
Argentina’s inflation rate already is one of the highest in the world, nearly one third of Argentines are poor and its currency has plunged under Macri, who came into power in 2015 with promises to boost South America’s second-largest economy and one of the world’s top grains suppliers.
Stocks plummeted when Fernández topped party primaries in August and the peso depreciated on investor fears of a return to the populist economic policies of Cristina Fernández, who governed from 2007 to 2015.
Argentina Central Bank president Guido Sandleris promised Monday to protect the bank’s foreign reserves.
Immediately after the results came in, the Central Bank announced it would sharply limit the amount of dollars that people can buy.
“During the final days of last week we observed a significant increase in the demand for dollars, mainly by individuals,” Sandleris said. “In the face of the risk of this phenomenon being maintained this week, we decided to escalate the (currency) controls.”
The bank said dollar purchases will be restricted to $200 a month from bank accounts and $100 cash until December. The previous amount allowed was $10,000 a month.
“The last two years have been brutal in Argentina,” said Benjamin Gedan, an Argentina expert at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. “Voters have suffered a painful recession, unimaginably high inflation and a debt crisis. No incumbent could survive in these conditions.”
Gedan said Fernández is “an untested leader” whose proposed solutions to Argentina’s daunting challenges remain a mystery and who inherits a ruinous economy and unfavorable international conditions.
Sunday’s result also marks a dramatic return to high office for Cristina Fernández, no relation to the president-elect.
Alberto Fernández served as chief of staff from 2003 to 2007 for President Nestor Kirchner, Cristina Fernández’s husband, and remained in the post during part of her term as president.
For many voters, placing the former aide at the top of the ticket made it more palatable. Cristina Fernández, who represents the more radical wing of the Peronist party, is both wildly popular among many and widely despised. She also faces a string of corruption investigations.
Michael Shifter, head of the Inter-American Dialogue, a Washington-based think tank, said she has hard-core support of about 30% of Argentines.
“The crucial question is what the dynamic will be between the pragmatic president and more ideological and polarizing vice president,” Shifter said. “The nature of that power struggle will determine the direction of Argentina’s economic, social and foreign policy in coming years.”
Shifter said that despite some fears, a return of the populist policies under Cristina Fernández is highly unlikely.
“Today Argentina simply does not have the economic conditions for unchecked spending,” he said. “This will not be a replay of her presidency.”
The result comes at a moment when both left and right have been struggling in South America. Market-friendly governments have won recently in Colombia, Brazil and Chile, but all have faced unrest — including last week’s massive protests in Chile over inequality and slowing growth.
Macri retained wide support among the key farming sector in one of the world’s top suppliers of grains. But overall frustration over the economy eroded the popularity of the pro-business former mayor of Buenos Aires and ex-president of the popular Boca Juniors soccer club.
Argentina faces tough challenges ahead: Commodities exports — the backbone of its economy — are vulnerable globally and it has a huge foreign debt. The World Bank forecasts that Argentina’s economy will shrink 3.1% this year. More than a third of the country is poor, unemployment is at 10.6%, and inflation is expected to hit 55% this year.
On the election trail, Fernández criticized Macri’s decision to seek a record $56 billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund, an institution many Argentines blame for creating the conditions that led to the country’s worst economic meltdown in 2001.
“Argentina will be on even more uncertain ground as negotiations with the IMF could go either way,” said Monica de Bolle, senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics.
On the campaign trail, Macri pleaded for more time to reverse fortunes and reminded voters of the corruption cases facing Cristina Fernández, who has denied any wrongdoing.
“It’s important so we don’t go back to the time of the Kirchners, when there was so much robbery, so much embezzlement. That wouldn’t be good for the country,” said Bernarda Nidia Guichandut, who helped her elderly parents into a car to go to vote.
___
Associated Press journalists Paul Byrne, Almudena Calatrava and Natacha Pisarenko in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Hernán Alvarez in Rosario, Argentina, contributed to this report.
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THE Getty Fire is the latest blaze to break out in the US state of California, causing evacuations and power outages in the area. Here is the latest on evacuations, road and school closures.
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Your traffic has dropped to a trickle. You’re hardly selling a thing and nobody has clicked a link in ages. You’ve optimized everything. You’re even ranking for a few keywords. You should be getting some traffic. And then your cousin, whom you hate and who has zero mouth filter, pipes up and says, “Cuz, your site is crap. I can’t look at it for a mite’s memory without wanting to go puke on 4chan.” As you’re sending death rays his way, you realize loathingly that he’s right. That’s the one element you discounted entirely. Well, you’re here and you’re ready
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TS SBTET Revaluation Results 2019 for C18, C16, C14 & C09 | The State Board Of Technical Education And Training (SBTET), Telangana will soon release the TS SBTET Diploma Revaluation Results for the March/April 2019 Examination. Students who have applied for the Reverification of Diploma Courses (C18, C16, C14, C09) can check your result from the below link. Here we will be updating the latest result link it will activate at the time of the result announcement. So keep track of this page gets the latest result updates.
Latest Update on 29th October 2019: TS SBTET Reverification Results will be out At Any Time in this Month. So all the exam participants keep in touch with this article to know your Result.
TS SBTET Revaluation Results 2019 C09 – Get Here
Students who have applied for the TS SBTET Diploma Revaluation are waiting for the result now. The Telangana SBTET Diploma Courses (C18, C16, C14, C09) Examination was conducted in March/ April 2019. And, finally, the State Board Of Technical Education And Training has finished up the Reverification process. So we are expecting the TS SBTET Revaluation Results 2019 C09, C18, C16 and C14 by October month.
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Students who have appeared in the Diploma March/ April 2019 Exam can download their TS SBTET Reverification Results from SBTET official website, once it is released. Also, we will update the latest TS SBTET Diploma Revaluation Result link from the bottom of this page. Applicants can check your results easily by clicking the direct link.
Check TS SBTET Diploma Recounting Result 2019
The officials of the State Board of Technical Education and Training (SBTET), Telangana are planning to announce the TS SBTET Polytechnic Revaluation Result 2019 for the October 2019 (Expected). Those who have applied for the Diploma Revaluation 2019 can check your result here. Also, Students can check Telangana SBTET Diploma RV Result 2019 for the Even & Odd Semesters. Applicants can check the following details Mentioned on TS SBTET RV Results 2019 (C18, C16, C14, C09)
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Initially, applicants can visit the official website of State Board Of Technical Education And Training i.e sbtet.telangana.gov.in
On the home page, click on the Services tab
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Select the Scheme (C18, C16, C14, C09), Year, exam and Pin Number
Finally, click the Get report option and check the TS SBTET Reverification Results 2019.
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AP SBTET Revaluation Results 2019 for Polytechnic C16, C14, C09 | The State Board of Technical Education & Training (SBTET), Andhra Pradesh will soon release the AP SBTET Diploma Revaluation Results for the October/ November 2018 Examination. Students who have applied for the Reverification of Diploma Courses (C16, C14, C09 & ER 91 ) can check your result from the below link. Here we will be updating the latest result link it will activate at the time of the result announcement. So keep track of this page gets the latest result updates.
Latest Update: AP SBTET Reverification Results will be out At Any Time in October 2019. So all the exam participants keep in touch with this article to know your Result.
AP SBTET Revaluation Results 2019 C09 – Get Here
Students who have applied for the AP SBTET Diploma Revaluation are waiting for the result now. The AP SBTET Diploma Courses (C16, C14, C09 & ER 91 ) Examination was conducted in Oct/ Nov 2019. And, finally, the State Board of Technical Education & Training has finished up the Reverification process. So we are expecting the AP SBTET Revaluation Results 2019 C16, C14, C09 and ER 91 by October month.
AP SBTET Diploma Revaluation Result 2019 (October/ November 2018 Exams)
AP Diploma C16, C14, C09 Recounting Results
Description
Details
Organization Name
State Board of Technical Education & Training (SBTET), Andhra Pradesh
Exam Name
AP SBTET Diploma Exams
Course Name
C16, C14, C09 & ER 91 – Polytechnic Diploma program
Students who have appeared in the Diploma Oct/ Nov 2018 Exam can download their AP SBTET Reverification Results from SBTET official website, once it is released. Also, we will update the latest AP SBTET Diploma Revaluation Results link from the bottom of this page. Applicants can check your results easily by clicking the direct link.
Check AP SBTET Diploma Recounting Result 2019
The officials of the State Board of Technical Education and Training (SBTET), Andhra Pradesh are planning to announce the AP SBTET Polytechnic Revaluation Result 2019 for October 2019 (Expected). Those who have applied for the Diploma Revaluation 2019 can check your result here. Also, Students can check AP SBTET Diploma RV Result 2019 for the Even & Odd Semesters. Applicants can check the following details Mentioned on AP SBTET RV Results 2019 (C16, C14, C09 & ER 91 )
Student Name
Enrollment Number
Exam Name
Roll Number
Semester
Course/ Program Name
Institute Name
Subject Name
Grades
Total Marks
Practical Marks
Percentage
Final Result Status
Subject Wise Marks
How to check AP SBTET Diploma Revaluation Result 2019 online?
Initially, applicants can visit the official website of State Board of Technical Education & Training (SBTET), Andhra Pradesh i.e sbtetap.gov.in
On the home page, click on the Examinations tab on the right side
Search for the Results section and click on the Results link
A new page will open, where select the Diploma option
In the Diploma section, The AP SBTET Reverification Results will be displayed on the screen, click on it
Then, Select the Scheme (C16, C14, C09 & ER 91 ), Year, exam and Pin Number
Finally, click the Get report option and check the AP SBTET Revaluation Results 2019 C09
Direct link to download AP SBTET Revaluation Results 2019
BTEUP Scrutiny Result 2019 Declared on 20th October 2019 @ bteup.ac.in | UP Diploma Polytechnic 2nd, 4th, 6th Semester Results. Welcome to our BTEUP Result page. Here we help you find all the BTEUP Scrutiny Result Semester Wise. The Board of Technical Education Uttar Pradesh has announced the UP Polytechnic Scrutiny Result. Hence, candidates who are waiting for the BTEUP Result 2019 can check from the direct link given below. BTEUP Revaluation Result for polytechnic diploma odd/even semester, annual and Back Paper exams will be released soon.. However, all the best and check the Result by clicking the link below.
Latest Update 20-10-2019: BTEUP Polytechnic Diploma Scrutiny Re-evaluation Result 2019Released…..Stay Connected with us for the latest Results…
BTEUP Polytechnic/Diploma Revaluation Even Semester Result 2019 – Applicants who have applied for the BTEUP Scrutiny Revaluation can check your result from the below link. Here we have updated the latest result link. And the result link has activated now. Board of Technical Education has released the diploma/polytechnic scrutiny results for odd semesters on 20th October 2019. Hence the Students can keep checking the BTEUP official website bteup.ac.in to check the BTEUP Revaluation Result 2019.
BTEUP Scrutiny Revaluation Result 2019
Organization Name
Board of Technical Education Uttar Pradesh (BTEUP)
BTEUP Even Semester Exam Result 2019 – Click Here Download BTEUP 2nd, 4th, 6th Sem Result 2019 – Click Here
BTEUP Result
BTEUP Scrutiny Result for Polytechnic Exam is Released Today. UPBTE Finally released the Polytechnic Diploma Scrutiny Final Result by official website – www.bteup.in. This is a piece of very good news for the students who are looking for the BTEUP Scrutiny Result and UPBTE Polytechnic Diploma Merit List. The candidates those who are looking for the BTEUP Scrutiny Result can download directly from Recruitment.guru.
UPBTE Polytechnic Result 2019
Below we have enclosed the UPBTE Polytechnic Diploma Scrutiny Result. Students are waiting for so, many days but Uttar Pradesh Board of Technical Education has released the BTEUP Scrutiny Result now. So, People who are waiting for the BTEUP Scrutiny Result can download the Merit list directly from here.
bteup.ac.in 2019 Result
UP Board of Technical Education is responsible for organizing polytechnic/diploma examinations and releasing results. BTEUP had conducted Polytechnic annual exams for 1st, 2nd and 3rd in June month. Written exams were conducted for all branches including Civil, Mechanical, IT, Electronics, Electrical, Computer science, etc. The board will release the scorecard for these exams. Candidates can check their results after the declaration. They will be available either on the BTEUP recruitment.guru website or in the college.
BTEUP Scrutiny Result
Candidates who were not able to clear some / all papers had applied for scrutiny. Now UPBTE is in the process of preparing UPBTE Scrutiny Exam Result 2019. The scrutiny exam result is declared now. Students who had applied can check them from below given links below. We will update the other information regarding UPBTE Polytechnic Results here.
UP BTE Revaluation Result
UPBTE Re-evaluation / Scrutiny/ Re-checking Result for all semesters 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th will be available provided here. Board of Technical Education Uttar Pradesh, last year, had announced results for the UPBTE Regular Annual Results for All Semesters. Now, the students who got fewer marks than expected, are applied for UPBTE Scrutiny. Candidates who applied are eagerly looking for the Polytechnic Semester Exam Result. BTEUP Exam Result 2019 will go to be released in Month 2019.
Download UPBTE Scrutiny Result
Students can check their UPBTE Scrutiny result either on the official website or in the College. Mark Sheets will be available after the change in marks & overall Performance. There is always a chance for an increase in marks through Scrutiny. Students have to contact their Exam Cell for Scrutiny Result.
Download BTEUP Polytechnic Diploma Scrutiny Result
Board of Technical Education Uttar Pradesh Polytechnic Diploma Scrutiny Result 2019 BTEUP Scrutiny Result 2019 Check Scrutiny Process Filling of Scrutiny Form 2019 UP Polytechnic Annual Exam Copy Re-Check result.
Download BTEUP Scrutiny Merit List 2019
Below we have enclosed the BTEUP Results & Merit List for all zones. People can check their marks from the below links.
Now you can check the BTEUP Scrutiny Final Result. BTEUP Exam 2014 Incomplete Result for Absent (AB)/ Incomplete (MW)Candidates Corrected Marks has been Announced by Board on 9 March 2019. Hence, Please Click On Given below Link.
BTEUP Scrutiny Result Download Links
Get BTEUP Scrutiny Result 2019 Zone 1 (Western Region)
NOTICE– Special Back Paper Exam will be Conducted on 23.12.2014 (Tuesday)
Important Note:
Board of Technical Education Uttar Pradesh has recently announced Result for the Polytechnic Diploma. Furthermore, After the Result, some students get fewer marks than expected. So they have to fill scrutiny Form for Re-Checking of their Answer books. So, there will be an increase in marks.
Scrutiny Form:
Candidates can get Scrutiny Form from their respective Colleges. Students have to contact their Exam Cell for Scrutiny form.
There is always a chance for an increase in marks through Scrutiny. So Candidates need to fill the form for Subjects in which they are sure that they will have a chance of increment in marks.
However, The Process of Scrutiny is live. Candidates need to be very choosy about the Selection of Exam Paper. It is free to fill scrutiny of any paper.
HSSC Previous Year Question Papers Pdf for Various Instructor, Patwari, Canal Patwari, Gram Sachiv, Clerk, Group 4, Constable, SI & Other Exams are available on our page. Applicants of Haryana Staff Selection Commission (HSSC) applying for various posts might be searching for previous year exam papers. Hence, go through the entire article and also find free download links of model papers along with exam pattern, exam date details.
HSSC Question Papers
Haryana Staff Selection Commission (HSSC) organizes recruitment for various posts every year. Haryana SSC previous exam papers uploaded here on this page. It helps the applicants in the preparation for the exam. Applicants who have applied for any post under HSSC can find the study material in this article. The direct link to download the sample papers pdf is given in the table below.
In this article, to help the applicants of Haryana Govt Jobs in their preparation we provide the direct links for the HSSC Model Test Papers in this page. Hence, find the respective links for HSSC Exam Papers in the section below and start your preparation. Also, interested applicants can visit the official website of Haryana Public Service Commission @ www.hssc.gov.in for more Exam Previous Question Paper details.
HSSC Instructor previous year question papers are available here for various posts like Maintenance Instructor, Craft Instructor, Food Production Instructor & Other. The examination will be held online so candidates who are applying for the given posts can get here the detailed HSSC Instructor model question paper.
Under HSSC a total of 1007 vacancies are released for the Instructor posts. Candidates need to appear for the written exam from 25th June to 3rd July 2019. So, here we have updated the exam pattern to get an overview of the examination. Go through the below sections and download the HSSC Instructor question paper pdf here.
HSSC Question paper is available here to download for the post of Gram Sachiv. Candidates who are applying for the HSSC Jobs 2019 can get here the HSSC Gram Sachiv question paper. Apart from the previous papers, pdf aspirants can also get an overview of the exam pattern in the below sections.
HSSC has released a total of 697 vacancies for the post of Gram Sachiv. The written examination is expected to be conducted from 13th July to 18th August 2019. For further details go through the HSSC Recruitment 2019 Notification. Aspirants can go get the HSSC Gram Sachiv previous year question paper pdf here.
Haryana SSC Gram Sachiv Previous Year Question Paper – Details
Haryana Staff Selection Commission is conducting a written test for the selection of various Welder, Instructor, Computer Operator, Welder & other Posts. There will be a huge competition for competitors this year. Therefore, candidates are suggested to start their preparation and do well in the examination.
HSSC Question Paper for Instructor, Welder & other vacancies is available here. Hence, candidates looking for the Haryana SSC Previous Year Papers can download from the given links. Moreover, interested aspirants can also visit the official website of the HSSC @hssc.gov.in for more Papers.
Looking for HSSC Question papers for Group 4 Examination 2018!!. Then welcome to our HSSC Previous Solved Papers page. Here we update all HSSC Vacancies Previous Year Question papers with Solutions Pdf. Also, download the free HSSC Model papers and Study Material Pdf from the direct links below. Later, don’t miss out to check the all-new updated HSSC Group 4 Exam Syllabus and Section wise Marks details from the link at end of the article. For more details check the Official HSSC Group D Recruitment details.
Description
Details
Post Name
Group 4
No of Vacancies
18,218
Category
Previous Papers
HSSC Exam Pattern – Group 4 Exam 2019
Sections
Subjects
Marks %
I
General Awareness
75 %
Reasoning
Maths
Science
English & Hindi
II
History, Current Affairs, Literature, Geography, Civics, Economics, Culture Etc of Haryana
25%
Total
90 Marks
Questions Type – Objective Type Multiple Choice Questions.
10 Marks for Socio-Economical & Experience.
Direct Download links to HSSC Previous Papers Pdf for Group 4
Haryana Staff Selection Commission wants to conduct an exam for Constable and Sub Inspector posts. If you one among the contender of HSSC SI & Constable exam 2019, then you have landed the perfect site. Candidates who are still searching for Haryana Police SI, Constable previous year question paper can get here.
Also, get HSSC Constable and SI Exam Pattern at free of cost. Everyone will write the exam but only those will select who have done a lot of hard work. So, Candidate is advised to prepare well for this examination. Hence, We have updated all the previous HSSC Constable model papers here. candidates can download it for free.
HSSC Fire Operator Previous Papers in the Pdf format is updated here. Applicants applied for the Haryana PSC Fire Operator Jobs can download the exam papers from the links given. The HSSC Previous Year Question Papers with Solutions is updated here for free. Hence, download them and save it for future purpose. If aspirants want to crack the HSSC Exam 2018, they have to practice with the help of the Last 5 Years Haryana Staff Selection Commission Exam Previous Question Papers.
Description
Details
Total Vacancies
1646
Name of the Posts
Fire operator cum driver
Category
Previous Papers
HSSC Fire Operator Exam Pattern 2019
Subject Names
Total Marks
General Knowledge
90
English
Aptitude
Reasoning
Socio-Economic Criteria & Experience
10
Total
100
Direct DOWNLOAD links to HSSC Previous Year Papers
Haryana excise Inspector & previous year paper and Haryana SSC Tax Inspector Old Question Papers available for free download. Get HSSC Question Paper along with Answers so that it will be easy for your preparation. Download the Last 5 Years HSSC Question Papers of Excise Inspector and Taxation Inspector here. Begin your preparation for the HSSC Examination 2017 after checking Inspector Syllabus and Exam Pattern. You can also search for the Haryana Police previous paper on the official website www.hssc.gov.in.
Description
Details
Total Vacancies
120
Name of the Posts
Excise & Taxation Inspector
Category
Previous Papers
Haryana SI Previous Year Paper 2019
Type
Subjects
Objective Type
General Knowledge (Haryana & India)
General Science
Reasoning
General English
Hindi
Mathematics
Tax for Taxation Inspector
Direct DOWNLOAD links to Haryana SSC Exam Question Papers
The Haryana SSC Previous Papers are available here to download. Applicants applied for the HSSC Recruitment 2017 can download the HSSC Model Papers Pdf for free. Candidates who are willing to join the Haryana Staff Selection Commission can start preparation for better results. Refer the updated HSSC Craft Instructor, Computer Instructor Previous Papers and score well. We have uploaded the HSSC Instructor Sample Papers with Solution. Interested individuals can also refer to the official website @ www.hssc.gov.in for latest HSSC Question Paper.
Description
Details
Total Vacancies
1064
Name of the Posts
Craft Instructor in Various Fileds
Category
Previous Papers
Haryana SSC Exam Pattern 2019 – Craft Instructor
Exam Type
Name of the Subject
Objective Type
General Awareness
Reasoning
General English
Aptitude
Mathematics
Direct DOWNLOAD links to Haryana Police Previous Paper
HSSC Question Paper for Computer Instructor, Computer Operator & Other posts is updated here. The Haryana Staff Selection Commission has released a notification for Computer Instructor, Computer Operator & other Posts. Hence, candidates are looking for the HSSC Previous Year Papers. The previous papers are very important for the applicants looking for Haryana SSC Jobs. Therefore, aspirants can check the Haryana SSC Model Question Papers Pdf in the following section.
Name of the post
Computer Instructor, Computer Operator & other Posts
No of Vacancies
1399
Category
Previous Papers
Haryana SSC Computer Instructor Exam Pattern 2019
Exam Type
Name of the Subject
Objective Type
General Knowledge
Reasoning
General English/Hindi
Aptitude
Mathematics
Direct Links to Download the Haryana SSC Sample Papers Pdf
Applicants searching for the HSSC Question Paper Pdf can download the papers from here. We have updated the Haryana Staff Selection Commission Exam Papers with Solutions. To clear the written examination of HSSC, the previous year papers are very important. Moreover, by referring to the HSSC Junior Engineer Question Papers, one can easily understand the important topics for the examination. Hence, refer to the article and download the Haryana SSC Sample Papers Pdf.
Description
Details
Name of the Post
Jr Engineer, Surveyor & other Jobs
Total Vacancies
302
Job Category
Previous Papers
Haryana SSC Jr Engineer Exam Pattern 2019
Exam Type
Name of the Subject
Objective Type
General Studies / Abilities
General Abilities
General English
Aptitude
Relevant Subject
Direct Links to Download the HSSC Sample Papers Pdf
WBPSC Previous Papers for Fire Operator & other posts recruitment test conducted by the board is available here. Applicants of Miscellaneous Services Recruitment Exam, Accountant, SI, JE, Fire operator, Motor Vehicle Inspector, Groups, etc might be searching for previous year question paper with answers pdf. Hence, we upload the WBPSC model question paper pdf free download link in this article.
WBPSC Previous Question Paper
Aspirants who applied for the WBPSC jobs 2019 can find the related previous year question papers on our page. To make it easy for the visitors of our page, we given the previous papers in pdf format.
Hence, find the direct link for the respective WBPSC exam previous year question paper pdf in the section below. For more latest West Bengal Public Service Commission jobs visit our WBPSC Recruitment 2019 page.
Candidates are advised to refer the complete WBPSC syllabus and exam pattern details before going to previous question papers. Knowledge of syllabus and exam pattern helps the applicants in understanding the way question and answers are given. Also, improves the scope of scoring marks and time management during the main examinations.
WBPSC Miscellaneous Previous Year Question Papers Pdf
West Bengal Public Service Commission has given the notification to fill various Miscellaneous Services Vacancies this year i.e. 2019. Applicants can fill their application forms from 10th June 2019. Candidates who are interested in this sector and are applying for the post can find previous exam papers in this section. Hence, find the WBPSC previous year question papers for the written test in the below table and start your preparation.
It is Stated that the Preliminary exam will be conducted in the month of September 2019 (Tentatively). or much more details related to exam visit the official site of WBPSC.
West Bengal PSC has given the notification to fill 74 Motor Vehicle Inspector (Non-Technical) in the month of Feb 2019. However, the board has now given the exam date for the written test as 07th April 2019. Hence, find the WBPSC previous year question papers for the written test below and start your preparation.
Applied for the Account WB PSC Recruitment 2018. Then here the Account Exam Model Question Papers for the purpose of practice. Aspirants who are going to appear for accountant written examination this month can download the pdf below. Hope our material will help you in your preparation and in scoring the marks.
Description
Details
Post Name
Accountant
No of Vacancies
200
Category
Previous Papers
Official Website
www.pscwbonline.gov.in
WBPSC Previous Year Question Papers Pdf – Download
The West Bengal Public Service Commission announced the SI Vacancies 2018. Hence, here are the WBPSC Previous Years Questions Papers and Study material for the post of Sub-Inspector Written Examination. The Aspirants who appearing the SI written Examination can check the WB PSC Old Papers with Answers below. Also, download the free PSC WB Question Papers for Sub Inspector Exams below.
Description
Details
Post Name
Sub-Inspector
No of Vacancies
957
Category
Previous Papers
Exam Date
27th January 2019
Download West Bengal PSC SI Old Question Papers Pdf
The applicants of WBPSC Jobs can check the WBPSC Previous Papers of Fire Operator. We have updated the direct links to download the West Bengal PSC Fire Operator Question Papers in the Pdf format. Hence, candidates are requested to check the WB PSC Previous Year Question Papers and prepare accordingly. Also, refer to the WBPSC Fire Operator Sample Papers uploaded here.
Have you applied for WBPSC Jobs? Are you preparing for the Govt Jobs? Then, you must be looking for WBPSC Forest Services Question Paper with Solution. So, here in this article, you can find the complete study material for WBPSC Exam. Therefore, read the following article carefully. The WBPSC Previous Question Paper can help the candidates with question topic, important topics, time management, etc. Hence, it is advised to all the contenders to practice all the provided WBPSC Model Question Papers for the better preparation.
WBPSC Civil Judges Previous Papers are provided here to download. Hence the candidates who applied for the Civil Judges Exam can refer the WBPSC Previous Papers for better preparation. Download the WBPSC Civil Judges Exam Question Papers for free of cost from the below links. Also, refer the official website of the West Bengal PSC i.e. www.pscwb.org.in for more details about the Civil Judges Exam.
The WB PSC Veterinary Officer Previous Papers is uploaded here. Hence, applicants looking for the papers can check here. The WBPSC Previous Papers Pdf is important for the aspirants who have applied for the West Bengal PSC Veterinary Officer Jobs. Go through the following article and download the WB PSC Model Question Papers Pdf. Interested and eligible applicants can also visit the official website of West Bengal Public Service Commission @ pscwbonline.gov.in for detailed WB Public Service Commission Previous Papers with Solutions. Also, check WBPSC Exam Pattern 2018 here.
Description
Details
Total Vacancies
156
Name of the Posts
Veterinary Officer
Category
Previous Papers
Download WB Public Service Commission Model Papers
West Bengal PSC Veterinary Officer Previous Papers
WBPSC Asst Director of Agriculture Previous Papers
Are you searching for WBPSC Previous Papers, then you reached the right page. Therefore, click on the given links and download the WB PSC Assistant Director of Agriculture Papers. Eligible candidates are requested to go through the entire page to get detailed information about the test papers. Here, we have updated WBPSC Previous Question Papers for your reference. Also, you can refer the official website to check the West Bengal PSC Syllabus & Exam Pattern 2018 @ pscwbonline.gov.in.
UPSC NDA NA 2 Previous Papers are available to download for free. Aspirants who are going to appear for the NDA NA II exam 2019 might be in search of old question papers. Go through the article and find the NDA GTA and Maths previous year question paper pdf.
UPSC NDA NA 2 Previous Papers Pdf
Union Public Service Commission conducts the written examination to fill the vacancies of National Defence Academy and Naval Academy vacancies. Candidates who are interested can find the latest NDA NA 2019 notification details from the link at the end of the article.
UPSC NDA NA 2 Previous year Question Papers helps applicants in preparation. We also advise the applicants to check the syllabus and exam pattern details along with the question paper. However, here are some of the details regarding the latest UPSC NDA NA II Examination.
In this section, aspirants can find the direct download links for the UPSC NDA NA 2 exam previous year question paper with solution pdf. Candidates just need to click on the link to download the question paper pdf given in the tabular column below. However, practice all the paper given on our page. which helps the aspirants in scoring good marks in the written test.
We advise the applicants to refer UPSC NDA NA I Exam Paper along with the NDA NA II Previous Papers. Find the link at the end of the article for more NDA NA I Exam papers.
UPSC NDA NA Previous Year Question Paper with Answers Pdf
Applicants can get Assam TET Previous Papers on our site. Assam Secondary Education Teacher Model Papers free pdf is available. You can also check @ rmsaassam.in.
Download Assam TET Previous Papers
In our page, we provide Assam Teacher Eligibility Test Old Papers with free downloading links. So candidates who are going to start preparation can check TET Model Papers here. We have given Assam TET Previous Papers with Solutions. Hence people can use these Teacher Eligibility Test Solved papers as reference. In addition to that, we also gave Assam TET Practice Papers with answers. For more Assam Teacher Eligibility Test Model Papers, you can visit the official site given below.
Rashtriya Madhyamik Siksha Abhijan has published the employment notification for Graduate Teacher Posts. It is good news for the people who are seeking for Govt. Jobs in Assam. Aspirants can check the official advertisement of Assam TET 2016 Recruitment for more details. Interested and eligible candidates can apply for TET Jobs before the last date commenced. People can visit our site for the latest employment news.
Applicants who applied for ATET posts will be selected based on the performance in the below rounds.
Written Test
ATET Syllabus and Exam Pattern 2019
People can find Assam TET Syllabus and exam pattern here. We have provided whole information regarding Assam Teacher Eligibility Test Syllabus 2019 and the test pattern in tabular form.
The ATET Last Ten Years Question Papers are updated on this page. Here are the direct links to get the Assam TET Previous Papers with Solutions. The Assam Teacher Eligibility Test Practice Papers are provided as topic wise. Click on the below attachments to download the AssamTET Model Papers with solutions.
HP TET Previous Question Paper available here. The candidates who are interested in Himachal Pradesh State Government jobs can apply for TET Exam 2019. We have also provided Himachal Pradesh TET exam previous year question papers in Hindi Pdf for free of cost. Aspirants can also make use of TET model papers for practicing purpose. Also, check for HP Teacher Eligibility Test exam dates, exam pattern details in the below section of the article.
HP TET Previous Question Paper
If you are searching for HP TET Question Papers, then you are in the right place. Here we provide you best study materials and sample papers that help to the maximum extent in the preparation of the exam. First, applicants need to check the latest syllabus, the pattern of the exam. HP TET previous question paper for arts, medical, non-medical, etc. given on this page both in English & in Hindi. HP TET exam pattern and syllabus help in getting an idea of the exam and proper strategy can be made to crack the exam successfully.
Himachal Pradesh Board Of School Education invites online applications for TGT posts. The interested aspirants can apply from the official website of Himachal Pradesh TET Board i.e. hpbose.org. The last date for online submission of application is already over. The Himachal Pradesh Teacher Eligibility Test(HP TET) exam date is released by the Board and it is conducted from 10th to 24th November 2019.
HP TET Question Paper – HPTET Exam 2019 details
Description
Details
Name of the board
Himachal Pradesh Board of School Education
Name of the Post / Exam
TGT (Arts, Medical, Non Medical)/ Shastri/ L.T/ J.B.T/ Punjabi/ Urdu
After the successful completion of the exam, according to the aspirant’s score, Interview will be taken. After getting selected in both the rounds the candidates will be selected for the posts.
Written Test
Interview
Himachal Pradesh TET Syllabus & Exam Pattern 2019
The Latest HP TET Syllabus 2019 Pdfis available below for the reference of the candidates. Also, candidates can check the other details like HP TET Exam Pattern, Exam Dates, and Application Form from our website. Exam pattern is given in table form below.
Himachal Pradesh TGT (Arts) Exam Pattern 2019
Sections
Subjects
Questions
Marks
Sections I & II
Child Psychology & Development
30
30
Pedagogy
Teaching learning processes
Section III
English Literature & Grammar
30
30
Section IV
Social Studies
60
60
Total
150
150
All questions will be of Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) type, with four options against each of the questions and the answer(s) to each of the questions has to be marked on the OMR sheet.
It contains totally 150 Multiple choice questions.
Duration of the exam is 2 hours 30 minutes.
HP TET TGT (NM) Exam Pattern:
Sections
Subjects
Questions
Marks
Sections I & II
Child Psychology & Development
30
30
Pedagogy
Teaching learning processes
Section III
Mathematics
30
30
Section IV
Physics & Chemistry
60
60
Total
150
150
Himachal Pradesh TET TGT (Medical) Exam Pattern:
Sections
Subjects
Questions
Marks
Sections I & II
Child Psychology & Development
30
30
Pedagogy
Teaching learning processes
Section III
Botany & Zoology
60
60
Section IV
Chemistry
30
30
Total
150
150
HP Teacher Eligibility Test Shastri Exam Pattern:
Subjects
No.of Questions
Marks
Duration
Shashtri degree course
120
150
2:30 Hrs
General awareness, HP Current Affairs & EVS
30
Total
150
150
Himachal Pradesh TET Language Teacher Exam Pattern:
Topics
No.of Questions
Marks
Duration
Hindi Course of Graduation Level
120
150
2:30 Hrs
General awareness including Himachal Pradesh, Current Affairs & Environmental Studies
30
Total
150
150
HP TET JBT Exam Pattern:
Subjects
No.of Questions
Marks
Duration
Child Development and Pedagogy
30
150
2:30 Hrs
English Literature & Grammar
30
Hindi Literature & Grammar
30
Mathematics
30
Social Sciences & General Awareness, HP current affairs & EVS
The written examination will consist of Objective Type Questions
The total number of questions is 150 and each question will carry 1 mark
The total duration of the examination is 150 minutes i.e. 2:30 Hrs
Candidates need to secure minimum 60% qualifying marks
For further details go through the official notification
HP TET Previous Year Question Papers in Hindi Pdf
The Aspirants who have applied for the exam and searching for HP TET previous question papers for free of cost can find it here. HP TET Recruitment 2019 depends on aspirants performance in both the written test and interview. Solving HP TET Model Exam Papers, previous year papers can help in the preparation of the exam by giving an idea about the difficulty level of the exam.
On this page, we have provided direct links to download model question papers, previous year papers for all live posts under TET Recruitment process for better preparation of the exam. There are also question papers with solutions pdf files that could help in practicing previous papers and checking them for correction using the given solutions. This helps in getting to know our weak points and improving in those sections for better results.
SSC MTS Question Paper of Paper 1 (CBE) & Paper 2 (Descriptive) Examinations is available here. Candidates who are in search of Previous Question Papers can find on our page. Also, Aspirants can refer to the exam pattern and syllabus details for the SSC Multi Tasking Staff (MTS) Recruitment Exam 2019. Keep Visiting the page for more updates on the Staff Selection Commission (SSC) MTS Job Notification details 2019.
SSC MTS Question Paper Pdf
SSC MTS Question Paper is uploaded in the section below. Download Last 5 Years SSC MTS Previous Year Paper in Hindi Pdf for free on our page. Also, refer to the model paper for Peon, Safaiwala, Chowkidar, Jr Gestetner Operator & Other Vacancies.
Staff Selection Commission (SSC) MTS Previous Year Question Paper in Hindi & English Pdf details is updated in the article below. The Applicants of SSC Multi Tasking Staff (Non-Technical) Recruitment 2019 can find the direct download links on our page. However, go through the complete article and find the other related details and also refer to the syllabus and exam pattern details. Later, find the direct link to download SSC MTS Previous Year Exam Model Question Papers in English and Hindi Pdf.
SSC MTS Previous Year Exam Question Paper in Hindi/English with Answers Pdf
Candidates who are going to apply for SSC MTS Recruitment 2019 can check the SSC MTS Previous Year Question Paper in English/Hindi Pdf. The Direct download SSC MTS Previous Question Paper Pdf links are in the table below. Hence, Job Seekers just need to click on the link. Download Last 5 Years SSC MTS Question Paper and start your preparation.
Staff Selection Commission (SSC) MTS Exam Paper Pattern & Full Syllabus Details
SSC MTS Exam Pattern is given in the table below. Candidates who are interested can check the details. We Advise noting the section which you need to concentrate and start your preparation. The SSC MTS Question Papers above helps in practicing more and gaining good marks in MTS 2019 Exam.
SSC MTS Exam Pattern 2019 – Paper 1 (CBT), Paper 2 (Descriptive)
Paper
Topics
No of Questions
Marks
Paper-I
General Intelligence & Reasoning
25
25
Numerical Aptitude
25
25
General English
50
25
General Awareness
50
25
Paper-II
Short Essay/ Letter in English or any Language included in 8th Schedule of the Constitution
50
Total
150
Paper-I is Objective Type.
Paper-II is Descriptive Type.
Time Duration for Objective Paper is 1 Hr 30 Mins.
Time Duration for Descriptive Paper is 30 Mins.
Total Marks for Two Papers is 150 Marks.
Click on the link below for complete and latest SSC MTS Exam Syllabus details.
SSC MTS Previous Papers – Exam Question Paper Pdf
Staff Selection Commission (SSC) MTS Previous Year Solved Papers Pdf is available here. Candidates can download the pdf just by clicking on the links. Also, we advise referring all the paper for better preparation and for scoring good marks. The MTS Previous Year Question Papers also helps candidates with time management skills. Share the details with your friends who are in search of SSC Multi Tasking Staff Exam Sample Practice papers.
SSC MTS Previous Year Question Papers in Hindi & English Pdf – Old SSC MTS Papers
However, the above given SSC MTS Previous Year Question Paper Books are only for reference Purpose. Download SSC MTS Question Paper Pdf and practice well. The SSC Multi Tasking Staff Exam Previous Paper helps in scoring good marks in the written Examination. However, interested candidates can check the complete syllabus for MTS Exam 2019 in our Syllabus page.
Download SSC MTS Solved Practice Papers – Sample Model Papers Pdf
UPSSSC Junior Assistant Previous Papers are available here for Junior Assistant/Junior Clerk Posts. Aspirants can download pdf for free of cost on our page. However, go through the article and find the junior assistant exam pattern, written exam dates, number of vacancies along with previous year question paper pdf.
UPSSSC Junior Assistant Previous Papers
Uttar Pradesh Subordinate Service Selection Commission releases the Junior assistant vacancies every year. This year UPSSSC has released 1186 vacancies. Interested candidates can apply from 26th June to 20th July 2019. However, to help all those applicants in their preparation we have given the UPSSSC Jr Asst exam question paper pdf here. Also, check the exam pattern details in the article below.
Candidates who are applying for the Junior Assistant posts need to go through the full article and start practicing the model papers. As there is a huge competition between the contenders. Hence, to face the competition refer all the UPSSSC Junior Assistant Previous Paper Pdf given below. We will update here the UPSSSC Exam dates once it is released from the official website.
UP Subordinate Service Jr Assistant Question Paper in Hindi Pdf Details
Description
Details
Board Name
Uttar Pradesh Subordinate Service Selection Commission (UPSSSC)
UPSSSC Junior Assistant syllabus exam question pattern previous are given here. Download the pdf for free from the section below. Before, starting your preparation we advise checking the exam pattern and syllabus details. The UPSSSC JA exam pattern for written test is given in the section below.
UPSSSC JA Written Test Pattern
Aspirants those who are planning to apply for the Uttar Pradesh Subordinate Service Junior Assistant posts need to attend the written examination for selection. The board is going to test the applicant on general intelligence and general awareness. Along with comprehension and writing ability in Hindi.
Here is the detailed UPSSSC junior assistant exam pattern in the tabular column below. Check the details like the number of questions, marks and time duration and start your preparation. Prepare your own plan and stick to your plan for good results.
Junior Assistant Exam Question Paper Pattern
Subjects
Questions
Marks
Hindi insight & writing ability
40
20
General intelligence
20
10
General Awareness
20
10
Total
80
40
The UPSSSC JA Question paper will be bilingual (Hindi/English)
The total time duration for the written exam is 1 Hr
For topic wise Jr Asst, exam syllabus pdf check link at end of the article
UPSSSC Junior Assistant Previous Year Question Paper Pdf
Candidates can download the UPSSSC Junior Assistant model question paper in Hindi Pdf under this section. The Jr Assist exam paper given in the table below are free to download. Check the official website for UPSSSC junior assistant question paper 2019 updates. Applicants can download the pdf just by one click. Refer all the model question paper for scoring good marks. Also, to improve time management at the main examination.
MUMBAI: The telecom industry is set for a fresh round of job cuts, combined with a freeze on hiring and increments, after Supreme Court broadened the definition on adjusted gross revenue (AGR), which will add significantly to the cost of carriers such as Vodafone Idea and Bharti Airtel.The two companies — worst hit by the ruling — have less than three months to pay what could add up to more than Rs 80,000 crore in licence fees and spectrum usage charges (SUC).They will be forced to slash costs, especially on staffing and capital expenditure, said recruiters and industry executives. The likely curb in network investments is further expected to have a cascading effect on the broader ecosystem, including equipment makers and tower vendors.Sunil Mittal, chairman of Bharti Airtel, reportedly met telecom minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and secretary Anshu Prakash on Monday to press for some relief.Government sources have told ET that after the court ruling, demands for dues will be sent out.Authorities are trying to see if the financial blow can be softened in any way but it's a tightrope walk as they want to avoid any future vigilance scrutiny."The telecom sector, which is now basic infrastructure, is in for a very rude shock as investments in capex will drop dramatically and head count restructuring will become the order," said Navnit Singh, chairman and managing director of India for executive search and advisory company Korn Ferry International.Aditya Narayan Mishra, director of CIEL HR Services, said bonuses and salary increases for FY21 seem unlikely, and as another hiring freeze is expected. 71797217 The top court's decision, which could leave the industry with a bill of Rs 1.3 lakh crore, has come at a time when the industry appeared to be set for a turnaround after almost two years. The operator and tower businesses, labouring under a total debt of Rs 7 lakh crore, employ roughly 180,000, down from 300,000 in 2017.Hiring mandates had started rolling out in data analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), internet of things (IoT) and in 5G technology, but there is concern this may come to a standstill."The operators will now have to look at ways to ensure future viability of their company which includes investments in network rollout, technology upgrades, expansion plans and manpower costs," said Rajan Mathews, director general of lobby group Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI). "All details regarding compensation such as increases, retention, stock options and headcount right sizing, etc., will all be up for review."Vodafone Idea and Bharti Airtel, both currently making losses, may need to cough up dues of Rs 39,000 crore and over Rs 41,000 crore, respectively. Vodafone Idea's headcount of direct employees is about 10,000, down from the premerger tally of over 17,000.Reliance Jio Infocomm, the only profitable carrier, and Airtel's India unit have over 15,000 and 16,000 employees, respectively.Employee costs make up some 5% of revenue for the industry. Hiring agencies expect the market to be awash with even more telecom employees soon."Forty percent manpower of one of the telcos have been on the prowl for the past six months, which is clearly visible online, which we are able to track. Now that percentage will increase sharply," said Kamal Karanth, cofounder of Xpheno, a specialist staffing company That will depress increments as only Jio, least impacted by the court orders, is likely to hire meaningfully, he said.Vodafone Idea raised pay by an average 9% in FY20, with bonuses of 97%, after a gap of almost two years. Bharti Airtel's 16,000 employees got an average annual raise of 7.5% in June.
NEW DELHI: Shivinder Singh likened his brother Malvinder to the "mythological Bhasmasur" and said he possibly suffered from a personality disorder while calling for a forensic audit of RHC Holding. Older brother Malvinder said he reserved the right to sue his sibling for making "scurrilous insinuations" and that Shivinder was trying to ingratiate himself with Radha Soami Satsang Beas, which owed RHC money.Shivinder made the accusations in a NCLT filing in July. Malvinder's response came in August. ET has seen both documents, which haven't been made public before. Hearings in the case are set to resume in the NCLT in December.The erstwhile promoters of Religare Enterprises (REL) and Fortis Healthcare (FHL) are currently in jail on charges of fund misappropriation. The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Delhi Police arrested the brothers and their associates earlier this month.Seeking the removal of Malvinder as director of RHC, the group holding company, Shivinder urged the NCLT to supersede the board and reconstitute it with persons appointed by the tribunal. Alleging that Malvinder had been "oppressive" in running RHC, Shivinder sought an injunction restraining his brother and any of his authorised representatives from interacting with RHC employees. He also demanded that Malvinder be prevented from entering RHC's offices.Malvinder alleged that Shivinder filed the suit only to stop RHC from demanding its money back from Gurinder Singh Dhillon, chief of the Radha Soami Satsang Beas (RSSB). Malvinder has alleged that Shivinder is appeasing Dhillon so that he can become the next RSSB head.Shivinder had raised "frivolous and irrelevant issues with an attempt to prevaricate the issues", Malvinder said. He accused Shivinder of "large scale diversion of funds from FHL, RHC, REL etc to Dhillon (chief of RSSB) and the entities under his (Dhillon) control". He alleged that an unsecured advance of Rs 600 crore was given to Lowe (an entity under the control of Dhillon) by FHL. The amount was used by Dhillon to acquire 20 acres in Gurgaon. This is said to be disputed land and the deal is being probed by the CBI.'BID TO SHIELD DHILLON'Malvinder alleged in his response that Shivinder wanted to "shield Dhillon from debts and possible investigations and liability towards Daiichi (Sankyo)".The younger brother alleged that Malvinder had made an "audacious and extravagant demand" of Rs 1,000 crore in order to cede control of RHC. 71798841 Shivinder has demanded status quo be maintained on the assets and shareholdings of RHC. He has also sought the appointment of two independent directors and an administrator to look after day-today affairs at RHC. He further demanded that RHC bank account signatories be changed to include persons appointed by the tribunal and that it summon all statutory records for safekeeping at its registry. Shivinder has also sought complete access to secretarial records, books of accounts and other information regarding RHC.In his petition, Shivinder said Malvinder was like Bhasmasur, referring to a demon with the power to render anyone to ash."Wherever he (Malvinder) became head of business — Ranbaxy, Fortis, Religare, SRL Labs Ltd — he decimated the value to zero for the RHC Group," Shivinder said in his NCLT petition. "The continuous destruction of RHC's asset base can be arrested provided the 'Bhasmasur' is dislodged from the helm of affairs of RHC."'PSYCHIATRIC ISSUES'Shivinder also alleged that his brother may have psychiatric issues."Malvinder's behaviour appears indicative of him suffering from either or both of certain specific personality disorders, namely antisocial personality disorder and narcissistic personality disorder," Shivinder said. If "Malvinder was to be professionally assessed and diagnosed by an unbiased and independent clinical professional, he may be found to suffering from one or both or other personality disorder, and that appropriate care and help may be sought for him to address and manage the same."Shivinder also cited the "American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders" to buttress his claim.In his response, Malvinder told the NCLT that he reserved the right to sue Shivinder and demanded that the accusations be "expunged/deleted".Malvinder used RHC as his "personal fiefdom" and his actions in relation to the affairs of RHC were "harsh, burdensome, oppressive, prejudicial and gravely harmful", Shivinder alleged. Malvinder had wrongfully transferred 3 million shares of Ranbaxy Laboratories held by RHC to Malav Holdings, he said. Malvinder denied this.Shivinder said he's been denied his "rightful voice" and was forced to approach the NCLT to avoid the "otherwise inevitable insolvency of RHC and further prejudicing the interests of RHC and all its stakeholders". He alleged that Malvinder had stopped board meetings from being held for over nine months, attaching emails sent by him to his brother to back up the claim.RANBAXY SALEThe brothers sold Ranbaxy Laboratories to Daiichi Sankyo for Rs 10,000 crore in 2008, an acquisition that turned sour. The Japanese drug maker had to pay $500 million in 2013 to settle a case in the US against Ranbaxy over felony charges that included making and distributing adulterated medicines. Daiichi Sankyo won an arbitration suit against the Singh brothers over allegations of fraud related to the deal. They owe the Japanese company $500 million on account of this. Sun Pharmaceuticals acquired Ranbaxy in 2016.Malvinder also alleged that Shivinder didn't disassociate himself from the business in 2016 and 2017, when he was supposed to have increased his engagement with the Radha Soami Satsang Beas.
KOLKATA | MUMBAI: Sales of apparel, smartphones, electronics and consumer products grew about 7-9% during Diwali thanks to last minute shopping, giving brick and mortar retailers a strong finish to their make-or-break festive season.Most consumer goods makers and offline retailers had been cautious about business during this year's festive season due to a slowing economy and poor consumer sentiment in both urban and rural India over the past three quarters.While purchase of entry-level products expanded at a slower pace, most retailers reported higher demand for mid-to-premium products, indicating lower-income buyers may have either postponed shopping or shifted to discount-led online portals. Also, wide availability and penetration of consumer finance boosted average transaction size.Consumption patterns have shifted, said Kishore Biyani, founder of Future Group, which runs chains such as Big Bazaar, Central and Brand Factory. Average Billing upFrequent shoppers were outnumbered by those seen as more conservative and typically don't splurge as much."Fashion did really well with Central exceeding our expectations," he said. "Having a loyal customer base, which was supported by Future Pay and cashbacks was a huge advantage to us which helped us immensely this time. Even within packaged consumer goods, gifting segment did brisk business especially at smaller stores such as Easy Day."Retailers and companies had reported better demand even during the Navratri-Durga Puja-Dussehra period with sales growing 7-8% over last year while Onam sales had reported 3-4% growth on a lower base due to floods in Kerala last year. As a result, overall festive sales grew 5-7% this year. 71798714 Diwali and overall festive season sales were much better than initially anticipated, said Brian Bade, CEO of Reliance Digital, India's largest smartphone and consumer electronics retailer."There was some pessimism, but at the end we are very happy," he said. "Performance was much better than last year — same-store sales went up in double digits, average billing went up with brisk demand across categories."Puma India managing director Abhishek Ganguly said Diwali pointed to possible recovery in retail considering traffic in malls was better than in August and early September despite record sales by ecommerce marketplaces.While footfalls were similar to those last year, sales rose as the average shopping basket was bigger, some retailers said."There was a high single-digit growth on a like-to-like basis compared to last year Diwali period. We have not seen slowdown in apparel sales yet. Also, the growth was largely driven by an increase in average billing size while the walk-ins were similar to last year," said Vasanth Kumar, managing director at Lifestyle International, the country's biggest department store chain. "Post Diwali, there is a seasonal change and stores will (get) winter stock, which allows us to liquidate autumn collection at discounted prices."While OnePlus clocked Rs 1,500 crore in sales from Navratri to Dhanteras, Xiaomi had said it sold more than 500,000 smart televisions in the same period apart from a record number of smartphones. Realme said it sold over two million smartphones.Diwali was a crucial period since sales of most categories had been flat or had declined this year due to poor consumer sentiment. A fortnight ago, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) slashed its economic growth forecast for India to 6.1% for the current fiscal from its July projection of 7%, citing weaker-than-expected outlook for domestic demand.Arvind Fashions managing director J Suresh said Diwali sales grew more than 9% while the overall festive season growth stood at 5-6%. Arvind Fashions sells brands such as Gap, Arrow, Tommy Hilfiger and US Polo Assn.In smartphones and electronics, retailers and brands said sales have grown 6-8% from last year. The relatively lower pricing of Apple's new iPhone 11 and up to 30% price cuts in televisions boosted demand, with consumer finance schemes adding to the buoyancy. The latter's contribution to overall sales went up to 75% compared with the usual 55-60%."There was no doubt some impact of negative sentiments since the number of shoppers who bought this year was lower than last year. However, those who purchased did of a higher value, boosting overall sales," said Vijay Sales director Nilesh Gupta, adding that sales grew 8%.Overall appliance sales went up by 6-7% with a clear shift toward premium products with little traction for entry-level products, said Vishal Mewani, director of Mumbai's leading chain Kohinoor Electronics. The festive season — from Onam in Kerala to Navratri-Durga Puja-Dussehra, Karva Chauth, Dhanteras and Diwali — is the biggest shopping period in the country accounting for almost 35-40% of annual sales of most consumer facing companies.
BENGALURU: Technology services companies such as Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Cognizant and Wipro are taking different paths to succeed in the interactive business focused on advertising and marketing, an area in which they have had little previous experience.The interactive business requires more design as well as user interaction and experience building to hook end customers to a digital product or make a digital experience more enjoyable. In the absence of such skills in-house, IT companies have made a slew of acquisitions.Wipro acquired Designit in 2015 to start its design and user experience business, and then bought Cooper in 2017.Wipro said the share of overall digital business including interactive to its revenue was nearly 40% and doing well. The company has now started concentrating on design thinking and user experience-led service offerings for both existing and new customers.Wipro sells design and experience-led digital services to existing customers and is also acquiring a lot of new customers, CEO Abidali Neemuchwala told ET.71799096 Even TCS, known for being cautious with acquisitions, bought London-based W12 Studios last November to expand its services in the area.TCS is looking at winning awards, such as Cannes, to help it make a mark in the interactive space. "We are growing in interactive. If you see we are getting nominated in Cannes, the goal is to bring the Lion home." CEO Rajesh Gopinathan told ET.Last year, Infosys bought digital marketing agency WongDoody, its first acquisition after Salil Parekh took over as the CEO.Competition is tough. In the interactive space, these IT firms compete not just with each other, but with advertising agencies that have built their interactive arms, and Accenture, which has a lead among technology firms in this area. In September, Accenture said revenue from its interactive business had crossed $10 billion a year.Meanwhile, IT companies are also beginning to determine whether interactive is an area in which they could truly win. "We have identified four digital battlegrounds in which we have to win — cloud, digital engineering, data and IoT — and I truly believe IoT will be unlocked by the power of 5G," said Brian Humphries, CEO at Cognizant. "I am not saying that we will not invest in interactive. We have a team there and we are investing," he added.Greyhound Research CEO Sanchit Vir Gogia said IT services companies were broadly focusing on building technology capabilities, role-based capability through acquisitions and vertical-based capabilities. For example, he said, Accenture bought an advertising firm and that would help the company speak to the chief marketing officer of any organisation in a more effective way.
NEW DELHI: Shivinder Singh likened his brother Malvinder to the "mythological Bhasmasur" and said he possibly suffered from a personality disorder while calling for a forensic audit of RHC Holding. Older brother Malvinder said he reserved the right to sue his sibling for making "scurrilous insinuations" and that Shivinder was trying to ingratiate himself with Radha Soami Satsang Beas, which owed RHC money.Shivinder made the accusations in a NCLT filing in July. Malvinder's response came in August. ET has seen both documents, which haven't been made public before. Hearings in the case are set to resume in the NCLT in December.The erstwhile promoters of Religare Enterprises (REL) and Fortis Healthcare (FHL) are currently in jail on charges of fund misappropriation. The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Delhi Police arrested the brothers and their associates earlier this month.Seeking the removal of Malvinder as director of RHC, the group holding company, Shivinder urged the NCLT to supersede the board and reconstitute it with persons appointed by the tribunal. Alleging that Malvinder had been "oppressive" in running RHC, Shivinder sought an injunction restraining his brother and any of his authorised representatives from interacting with RHC employees. He also demanded that Malvinder be prevented from entering RHC's offices.Malvinder alleged that Shivinder filed the suit only to stop RHC from demanding its money back from Gurinder Singh Dhillon, chief of the Radha Soami Satsang Beas (RSSB). Malvinder has alleged that Shivinder is appeasing Dhillon so that he can become the next RSSB head.Shivinder had raised "frivolous and irrelevant issues with an attempt to prevaricate the issues", Malvinder said. He accused Shivinder of "large scale diversion of funds from FHL, RHC, REL etc to Dhillon (chief of RSSB) and the entities under his (Dhillon) control". He alleged that an unsecured advance of Rs 600 crore was given to Lowe (an entity under the control of Dhillon) by FHL. The amount was used by Dhillon to acquire 20 acres in Gurgaon. This is said to be disputed land and the deal is being probed by the CBI.'BID TO SHIELD DHILLON'Malvinder alleged in his response that Shivinder wanted to "shield Dhillon from debts and possible investigations and liability towards Daiichi (Sankyo)".The younger brother alleged that Malvinder had made an "audacious and extravagant demand" of Rs 1,000 crore in order to cede control of RHC. 71798841 Shivinder has demanded status quo be maintained on the assets and shareholdings of RHC. He has also sought the appointment of two independent directors and an administrator to look after day-today affairs at RHC. He further demanded that RHC bank account signatories be changed to include persons appointed by the tribunal and that it summon all statutory records for safekeeping at its registry. Shivinder has also sought complete access to secretarial records, books of accounts and other information regarding RHC.In his petition, Shivinder said Malvinder was like Bhasmasur, referring to a demon with the power to render anyone to ash."Wherever he (Malvinder) became head of business — Ranbaxy, Fortis, Religare, SRL Labs Ltd — he decimated the value to zero for the RHC Group," Shivinder said in his NCLT petition. "The continuous destruction of RHC's asset base can be arrested provided the 'Bhasmasur' is dislodged from the helm of affairs of RHC."'PSYCHIATRIC ISSUES'Shivinder also alleged that his brother may have psychiatric issues."Malvinder's behaviour appears indicative of him suffering from either or both of certain specific personality disorders, namely antisocial personality disorder and narcissistic personality disorder," Shivinder said. If "Malvinder was to be professionally assessed and diagnosed by an unbiased and independent clinical professional, he may be found to suffering from one or both or other personality disorder, and that appropriate care and help may be sought for him to address and manage the same."Shivinder also cited the "American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders" to buttress his claim.In his response, Malvinder told the NCLT that he reserved the right to sue Shivinder and demanded that the accusations be "expunged/deleted".Malvinder used RHC as his "personal fiefdom" and his actions in relation to the affairs of RHC were "harsh, burdensome, oppressive, prejudicial and gravely harmful", Shivinder alleged. Malvinder had wrongfully transferred 3 million shares of Ranbaxy Laboratories held by RHC to Malav Holdings, he said. Malvinder denied this.Shivinder said he's been denied his "rightful voice" and was forced to approach the NCLT to avoid the "otherwise inevitable insolvency of RHC and further prejudicing the interests of RHC and all its stakeholders". He alleged that Malvinder had stopped board meetings from being held for over nine months, attaching emails sent by him to his brother to back up the claim.RANBAXY SALEThe brothers sold Ranbaxy Laboratories to Daiichi Sankyo for Rs 10,000 crore in 2008, an acquisition that turned sour. The Japanese drug maker had to pay $500 million in 2013 to settle a case in the US against Ranbaxy over felony charges that included making and distributing adulterated medicines. Daiichi Sankyo won an arbitration suit against the Singh brothers over allegations of fraud related to the deal. They owe the Japanese company $500 million on account of this. Sun Pharmaceuticals acquired Ranbaxy in 2016.Malvinder also alleged that Shivinder didn't disassociate himself from the business in 2016 and 2017, when he was supposed to have increased his engagement with the Radha Soami Satsang Beas.
BENGALURU: The value of merchandise sold by Flipkart and Amazon during the recent month-long festival sales may have fallen short of analysts' estimates, marginally, while the number of units sold were in line with industry expectations, according to multiple people aware of the specifics.The slight dip in this year's projected gross value of sales from the crucial festive sale, which was spread across September and October, at India's two largest online marketplaces is largely due to consumers' preference for more affordable products dragging down order value in the midst of a general slowdown in consumer sentiment, said company executives who briefed ET on the matter. On an overall basis though both companies grew sales and units sold when compared to 2018.Flipkart and Amazon were expected to rake in a cumulative $5 billion (Rs 36,000 crore) in sales, or gross merchandise value (GMV), during the festival sale season as reported by ET. Non-metro Areas Drive SalesBoth ecommerce firms were aiming to clock a 30% increase in GMV compared to last year. GMV is overall sales clocked by an online marketplace and does not include discounts, returns, cancellations and cashbacks on products sold, and it is different from the revenue generated by a marketplace. People in the know, however, said, the two companies clocked 10-15% less in terms of overall GMV on the back of lower-priced items selling better this year.71798740 Further, customers from India's non-metropolitan areas accounted for over two-thirds of the online festive sales, with low-priced items across fashion, home and electronics emerging as top categories, company executives said. Brands and logistics companies that ET spoke to concurred.While Flipkart missed sales targets by value for mobile phones, it did well in categories like large appliances, fashion, home, beauty and lifestyle, sources said."On the other hand, Amazon India missed estimates on general merchandise and lifestyle, and did well on mobiles and new prime membership," said a person cited above.Replying to ET's queries on the matter, a representative for Flipkart said the company does not comment on "category specific metrics," adding that the company "exceeded all customer metrics we measure ourselves against."Amazon India said top categories included smartphones, consumer electronics, large appliances, fashion, grocery, and home & kitchen. 83% of customers who shopped were from small towns, the company said.Flipkart did not share sale numbers.Separately, Delhi based Snapdeal said its sales volumes were 52% higher this year fuelled largely by demand from non-metros."Units shipped in October on average saw a 60% spike for all ecommerce companies," said a logistics company founder.In the first leg of the six-day sale that ran from September 29 to October 2, Amazon and Flipkart clocked gross merchandise value estimated at $3 billion, or about Rs 21,380 crore, according to Redseer Consulting, missing analysts' estimate of $3.7-3.8-billion.Analysts are of the view that bank partnerships, luring customers towards flat discounts as high as 10%, along with EMI plans, exclusive launches, private labels, and introduction of features like games and Hindi interface helped ecommerce firms overcome a challenging macro environment.Marketplaces track multiple targets internally to gauge sales including units sold, returns, total value of items sold, delivery time, cancellations, among others. And these vary for different categories."For instance, for smartphones and large appliances the metric is largely order value and delivery time," said one person directly aware of the matter."For long-tail merchandise like home items, that metric is primarily units sold, selection, and return," the person added RBC Capital Markets in a recent report said that in 2018, Amazon accounted for 30% of India's ecommerce market, second to Walmart-owned Flipkart, which held 44%.
ET Intelligence Group: The sharp improvement in the operating margin of Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) in the September quarter may rekindle investor interest in Tata Motors in the near term. The second-quarter performance could result in an earnings upgrade driven by the reset of margin expectations at UK subsidiary JLR. But analysts are likely to have a calibrated view owing to several variables. This includes events such as Brexit and others linked to an uncertain global economic environment. The company needs to mirror this performance for a few more quarters to build a case for sustainable re-rating and regaining the historical premium it enjoyed over global premium carmakers.JLR's operating margins (Ebitda) improved 480 basis points to 13.8%, the most in 16 quarters, thanks to a recovery in China, favourable product mix and cost savings. The efforts to improve sales in China are yielding results. JLR volume outperformed by 30% in the September quarter compared with 15% underperformance in the previous one. China accounted for 20.3% of total retail sales in the second quarter of the current fiscal, a gain of 1.3 percentage points on a sequential basis. The inventory of China retailers dropped to the lowest since 2017 and returns on sales for retailers improved. 71788680 Volumes and margins have been volatile in the past few quarters following the slump in car sales growth in China and its moderating economic growth outlook. Therefore, a single-quarter improvement may not move the needle for investors. Besides this, the uncertainty of Brexit still looms large. JLR said in a post-earnings conference that it might order another shutdown in November due to Brexit.A substantial contribution from resetting margin expectations for JLR will originate from the company's internal measures to control costs through Project Charge. This has resulted in savings of £2.2 billion out of a total £2.5 billion. The company will continue with the second round of the cost-efficiency programme once the first phase is over by March 2020. Under Project Charge, savings are being made from manufacturing, material and fixed marketing expenses. Also, JLR has been gradually reducing its warranty expenses, and expects this to remain at 4-6% of the total on a sustainable basis going forward.The impact of the cost saving can be gauged from the fact that in the previous quarter JLR sold 118,000 units, resulting in operating profit (Ebit) dropping 5.5%. But in the second quarter, with 134,000 units, it had a margin of positive 4.8%.Negative cash flow dropped to £64 million in the second quarter from £719 million in the previous one. With delivery on cost savings quite visible in the financials and looking sustainable, the street will start pricing in double-digit operating margins (Ebitda) for JLR in the next fiscal year.The company has guided for Ebit (including depreciation) margin guidance of 3-4% for the current fiscal, while Ebit margin for the first half has been 0.2%. Thus, achieving its guidance would still be an uphill task despite significant outperformance in the second quarter.
The market seems to be expecting a tax cut that will stimulate near-term demand but there is little room for the government to do so in the current financial year, said Sanjay Mookim, India equity strategist, Bank of America Merrill Lynch. In an interview with Sanam Mirchandani, Mookim said he is positive on financials, industrials and cement companies among sectors. Excerpts:The impact of the corporate tax rate cut was initially thought to be extensive. Do you see a major impact?That answer depends on the timeframe that you are looking at and the context of the impact you are talking about. A corporate tax cut leaves more cash flow with companies. In theory, companies can potentially invest that money, or give dividends to shareholders, or cut margins.In an emerging economy like India, such a measure is designed essentially to be an investment stimulus. By definition, this will take time to show up in the economy. Companies need to consider the demand environment and competition before deciding on new capex. We see three broad reinforcing effects of corporate tax cuts. First, these increase the IRR (internal rate of return) of new projects. Second, the ability of a business to undertake that project goes up as it has more cash. Third, banks are more willing to finance a corporate that has higher internal cash generation. In that respect, a corporate tax cut can be extremely effective. The medium-term trajectory of private sector capex will be higher than before the measure was announced.I think the disconnect you point to is that the market was hoping for a measure that supports near-term consumption. Demand trends seem to be weakening in some parts of the economy. The hope among investors was for a tax cut that reverses these, but a corporate tax cut does not do that. That is where the sense of disappointment or scepticism comes in.The festival season is on. Do you see a pickup in consumption demand?Our channel checks so far suggest demand trends in the festive season are mixed at best. Consumption seems flat to down on a yearon-year basis. Sequentially, the festive season is lifting demand seasonally as expected. Sales on online channels are doing extremely well, we understand. Most of this seems to be coming from tier 2 and tier 3 India, rather than from urban India.There is a concern the government has little room to announce more reforms without disturbing its financials.Even before the corporate tax cut, there were concerns over the fiscal deficit. Revenue collections are well below projections. The government is managing by cutting expenditure. This is something they will have to continue through the rest of the year. Logically, there is no room for further tax cuts unless the government decides to increase the deficit. The market, however, seems to be keenly expecting a tax cut that stimulates near-term demand. This could be a reduction in personal income taxes or a cut in GST (goods and services tax) for some categories. Such a step seems like a very low probability to me for two reasons. First, there is little room in the FY20 budget for fresh tax cuts and second, peak seasonal sales are largely over. Consumption tax cuts would have been more effective ahead of the festive season.You had said in a recent interview that the last time there was an EPS upgrade in a year was in 2009. What is your expectation this year?The earnings trajectory for the market remains relatively poor. If you take the Nifty for example, our estimate for Nifty EPS for December 2020 was Rs 690 in 2018. Even after we build in the benefit of the tax cuts, that would now be Rs 640. The tax cuts have not been enough to maintain market EPS forecasts or lead to upgrades. In many cases, the problem does not lie with the companies' ability to deliver. It is that market and analyst expectations and forecasts are just too high. We will continue to see very sharp downgrades across many companies.The ruling party's performance in state elections is being described as a blip by some. Do you see any impact on policy?My belief is state election results are not going to affect equity prices in any meaningful way. The market is unlikely to extrapolate whatever has happened in state polls, whether positive or negative to central government policy action. The government seems secure until 2024. It has enough control in both houses of parliament to execute a wide range of reforms. I don't think equity markets are going to spend too much time thinking about state elections now.It's been a year since the Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services (IL&FS) crisis came to light. How much progress has the financial space made in terms of recognition of issues?In some ways, progress has been made in the NBFC (nonbanking financial companies) space. We now know a lot more about the quality of these balance sheets than we did one year ago. Progress has been made in the case of PMC (Punjab and Maharashtra Cooperative) Bank, for example. Now we know of the problem. Acknowledgement is the first step to resolution.There are two broad fixes to a distressed asset on a lender's balance sheet. Either the asset itself is revived and is able to discharge its liabilities, or the lender is able to find sufficient equity to replace the value lost in the asset's distress.Over the next few months, troubled financial institutions will have to work along these two paths. A lot needs to be done before these companies can return to a steady state.The market seems fearful of a credit event, in case any of these companies is unable to resolve its balance sheet issues.What are your sector preferences?I am not entirely convinced that there is a broad-based consumer slowdown. If you look at data outside of the autos, there is no negative volume growth number yet. Consumption in every category is still growing year on year. If you look at the run rates of volume growth at a broad range of consumer companies, they are today at their long-term averages. Sales growth seems slower particularly because last year was very strong. GST was implemented in 2017, which led to destocking across supply chains. Many businesses had come to a virtual halt. The recovery from GST meant sales numbers in 2018 were very strong. It is in the context of 2018 that the current growth numbers appear to be a deceleration. A second issue is that topline growth looks weaker as there is little inflation. Most companies are stuck with single-digit topline growth which is not something they and investors are used to.The deceleration in sales growth seems to have created a specific, short-term problem. Our channel checks suggest inventories across many distribution chains are well above average. Companies seem to have extrapolated strength from 2018 but are now faced with more average run rates. This has driven inventory accumulation. There are only two ways this can be resolved. Either demand comes back if, say, Diwali is strong enough to clear inventory across consumer channels, or you get a period of upstream production shutdowns.
BENGALURU: Technology services companies such as Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Cognizant and Wipro are taking different paths to succeed in the interactive business focused on advertising and marketing, an area in which they have had little previous experience.The interactive business requires more design as well as user interaction and experience building to hook end customers to a digital product or make a digital experience more enjoyable. In the absence of such skills in-house, IT companies have made a slew of acquisitions.Wipro acquired Designit in 2015 to start its design and user experience business, and then bought Cooper in 2017.Wipro said the share of overall digital business including interactive to its revenue was nearly 40% and doing well. The company has now started concentrating on design thinking and user experience-led service offerings for both existing and new customers.Wipro sells design and experience-led digital services to existing customers and is also acquiring a lot of new customers, CEO Abidali Neemuchwala told ET.71799096 Even TCS, known for being cautious with acquisitions, bought London-based W12 Studios last November to expand its services in the area.TCS is looking at winning awards, such as Cannes, to help it make a mark in the interactive space. "We are growing in interactive. If you see we are getting nominated in Cannes, the goal is to bring the Lion home." CEO Rajesh Gopinathan told ET.Last year, Infosys bought digital marketing agency WongDoody, its first acquisition after Salil Parekh took over as the CEO.Competition is tough. In the interactive space, these IT firms compete not just with each other, but with advertising agencies that have built their interactive arms, and Accenture, which has a lead among technology firms in this area. In September, Accenture said revenue from its interactive business had crossed $10 billion a year.Meanwhile, IT companies are also beginning to determine whether interactive is an area in which they could truly win. "We have identified four digital battlegrounds in which we have to win — cloud, digital engineering, data and IoT — and I truly believe IoT will be unlocked by the power of 5G," said Brian Humphries, CEO at Cognizant. "I am not saying that we will not invest in interactive. We have a team there and we are investing," he added.Greyhound Research CEO Sanchit Vir Gogia said IT services companies were broadly focusing on building technology capabilities, role-based capability through acquisitions and vertical-based capabilities. For example, he said, Accenture bought an advertising firm and that would help the company speak to the chief marketing officer of any organisation in a more effective way.
NEW DELHI: Many in leading technology services companies seem to be unhappy with the increments handed out to them in the last annual appraisal cycle (June-July), leading to a nearly 3x jump in the number of IT professionals searching for jobs, show the findings of a survey.The dipstick study, 'The Rise in Active Job Seekers' and conducted by staffing firm Xpheno, compared the number of IT professionals searching for jobs in August and September with those in the previous two months.Those who are looking for a change mostly have work experience of 15 years and upwards, according to two other recruitment companies — TeamLease Services & ABC Consultants.As many as 17.2 lakh employees at the top 13 IT services companies were mapped and 4.72 lakh employees (27%) were found to be actively searching jobs in August-September in India, compared with 1.68 in June-July, according to Xpheno's study. They received almost negligible increment in the previous annual appraisal cycle, Xpheno founder Kamal Karanth said. The hikes on an average have been below 5% (in some cases 1-2%) in most of the IT services companies. 71796725 The study covered employees from the likes of Tata Consultancy Services, Wipro, Infosys, HCL Technologies and Cognizant Technologies. ET reached out to most of these companies, but didn't get any response until press time Monday to emails seeking comment."Usually post appraisal there is attrition in the IT services sector... now the companies are getting more stringent when it comes to performance as the environment is getting hypercompetitive," said Sangeeta Gupta, a senior vice president at IT industry body Nasscom.At the same time, companies are nudging employees to perform and acquire new and niche skills, she said. It is this chunk of talent pool with niche skills — like in artificial intelligence, robotics, data analytics and cyber security — that is quite high in demand. "Companies are also putting a premium on talent with niche skills and high level of performance," Gupta added.Of the various categories in the study, shared with ET, the highest spike of 330% was observed among employees with work experience of 15 years and above. Things are gloomy for those who do not have relevant skills, as they are usually the first to let go of, ABC Consultants director Ratna Gupta said, adding: "Now companies just want performers."Mostly mid and senior managers, with experience between 10 and 25 years, are on the job hunt, said experts.TeamLease Services cofounder Rituparna Chakraborty agreed that people skilled in high-end technology were much in demand. "In the full-stack category, high-moving skills include SAP S4 Hana, Dev ops, AI, AWS, Cloud, UI, Robotics where in more of the talent pool is getting upskilled and is in demand," said Chakraborty.
Tamil Nadu: Two-year-old boy, trapped in borewell for 3 days, dies Sujith Wilson had fallen into the disused farm borewell while playing near his house in Nadukattupatti on Friday evening. Various central and state agencies were called in to rescue him.
Diwali sales give retailers relief, finally KOLKATA | MUMBAI: Sales of apparel, smartphones, electronics and consumer products grew about 7-9% during Diwali thanks to last minute shopping, giving brick and mortar retailers a strong finish to their make-or-break festive season.Most consumer goods makers and offline retailers had been cautious about business during this year's festive season due to a slowing economy and poor consumer sentiment in both urban and rural India over the past three quarters.While purchase of entry-level products expanded at a slower pace, most retailers reported higher demand for mid-to-premium products, indicating lower-income buyers may have either postponed shopping or shifted to discount-led online portals. Also, wide availability and penetration of consumer finance boosted average transaction size.Consumption patterns have shifted, said Kishore Biyani, founder of Future Group, which runs chains such as Big Bazaar, Central and Brand Factory. Average Billing upFrequent shoppers were outnumbered by those seen as more conservative and typically don't splurge as much."Fashion did really well with Central exceeding our expectations," he said. "Having a loyal customer base, which was supported by Future Pay and cashbacks was a huge advantage to us which helped us immensely this time. Even within packaged consumer goods, gifting segment did brisk business especially at smaller stores such as Easy Day."Retailers and companies had reported better demand even during the Navratri-Durga Puja-Dussehra period with sales growing 7-8% over last year while Onam sales had reported 3-4% growth on a lower base due to floods in Kerala last year. As a result, overall festive sales grew 5-7% this year.71798714 Diwali and overall festive season sales were much better than initially anticipated, said Brian Bade, CEO of Reliance Digital, India's largest smartphone and consumer electronics retailer."There was some pessimism, but at the end we are very happy," he said. "Performance was much better than last year — same-store sales went up in double digits, average billing went up with brisk demand across categories."Puma India managing director Abhishek Ganguly said Diwali pointed to possible recovery in retail considering traffic in malls was better than in August and early September despite record sales by ecommerce marketplaces.While footfalls were similar to those last year, sales rose as the average shopping basket was bigger, some retailers said."There was a high single-digit growth on a like-to-like basis compared to last year Diwali period. We have not seen slowdown in apparel sales yet. Also, the growth was largely driven by an increase in average billing size while the walk-ins were similar to last year," said Vasanth Kumar, managing director at Lifestyle International, the country's biggest department store chain. "Post Diwali, there is a seasonal change and stores will (get) winter stock, which allows us to liquidate autumn collection at discounted prices."While OnePlus clocked Rs 1,500 crore in sales from Navratri to Dhanteras, Xiaomi had said it sold more than 500,000 smart televisions in the same period apart from a record number of smartphones. Realme said it sold over two million smartphones.Diwali was a crucial period since sales of most categories had been flat or had declined this year due to poor consumer sentiment. A fortnight ago, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) slashed its economic growth forecast for India to 6.1% for the current fiscal from its July projection of 7%, citing weaker-than-expected outlook for domestic demand.Arvind Fashions managing director J Suresh said Diwali sales grew more than 9% while the overall festive season growth stood at 5-6%. Arvind Fashions sells brands such as Gap, Arrow, Tommy Hilfiger and US Polo Assn.In smartphones and electronics, retailers and brands said sales have grown 6-8% from last year. The relatively lower pricing of Apple's new iPhone 11 and up to 30% price cuts in televisions boosted demand, with consumer finance schemes adding to the buoyancy. The latter's contribution to overall sales went up to 75% compared with the usual 55-60%."There was no doubt some impact of negative sentiments since the number of shoppers who bought this year was lower than last year. However, those who purchased did of a higher value, boosting overall sales," said Vijay Sales director Nilesh Gupta, adding that sales grew 8%.Overall appliance sales went up by 6-7% with a clear shift toward premium products with little traction for entry-level products, said Vishal Mewani, director of Mumbai's leading chain Kohinoor Electronics. The festive season — from Onam in Kerala to Navratri-Durga Puja-Dussehra, Karva Chauth, Dhanteras and Diwali — is the biggest shopping period in the country accounting for almost 35-40% of annual sales of most consumer facing companies. Source: ET
E-shoppers load festive carts with affordable goods BENGALURU: The value of merchandise sold by Flipkart and Amazon during the recent month-long festival sales may have fallen short of analysts' estimates, marginally, while the number of units sold were in line with industry expectations, according to multiple people aware of the specifics.The slight dip in this year's projected gross value of sales from the crucial festive sale, which was spread across September and October, at India's two largest online marketplaces is largely due to consumers' preference for more affordable products dragging down order value in the midst of a general slowdown in consumer sentiment, said company executives who briefed ET on the matter. On an overall basis though both companies grew sales and units sold when compared to 2018.Flipkart and Amazon were expected to rake in a cumulative $5 billion (Rs 36,000 crore) in sales, or gross merchandise value (GMV), during the festival sale season as reported by ET. Non-metro Areas Drive SalesBoth ecommerce firms were aiming to clock a 30% increase in GMV compared to last year. GMV is overall sales clocked by an online marketplace and does not include discounts, returns, cancellations and cashbacks on products sold, and it is different from the revenue generated by a marketplace. People in the know, however, said, the two companies clocked 10-15% less in terms of overall GMV on the back of lower-priced items selling better this year.71798740 Further, customers from India's non-metropolitan areas accounted for over two-thirds of the online festive sales, with low-priced items across fashion, home and electronics emerging as top categories, company executives said. Brands and logistics companies that ET spoke to concurred.While Flipkart missed sales targets by value for mobile phones, it did well in categories like large appliances, fashion, home, beauty and lifestyle, sources said."On the other hand, Amazon India missed estimates on general merchandise and lifestyle, and did well on mobiles and new prime membership," said a person cited above.Replying to ET's queries on the matter, a representative for Flipkart said the company does not comment on "category specific metrics," adding that the company "exceeded all customer metrics we measure ourselves against."Amazon India said top categories included smartphones, consumer electronics, large appliances, fashion, grocery, and home & kitchen. 83% of customers who shopped were from small towns, the company said.Flipkart did not share sale numbers.Separately, Delhi based Snapdeal said its sales volumes were 52% higher this year fuelled largely by demand from non-metros."Units shipped in October on average saw a 60% spike for all ecommerce companies," said a logistics company founder.In the first leg of the six-day sale that ran from September 29 to October 2, Amazon and Flipkart clocked gross merchandise value estimated at $3 billion, or about Rs 21,380 crore, according to Redseer Consulting, missing analysts' estimate of $3.7-3.8-billion.Analysts are of the view that bank partnerships, luring customers towards flat discounts as high as 10%, along with EMI plans, exclusive launches, private labels, and introduction of features like games and Hindi interface helped ecommerce firms overcome a challenging macro environment.Marketplaces track multiple targets internally to gauge sales including units sold, returns, total value of items sold, delivery time, cancellations, among others. And these vary for different categories."For instance, for smartphones and large appliances the metric is largely order value and delivery time," said one person directly aware of the matter."For long-tail merchandise like home items, that metric is primarily units sold, selection, and return," the person added RBC Capital Markets in a recent report said that in 2018, Amazon accounted for 30% of India's ecommerce market, second to Walmart-owned Flipkart, which held 44%. Source: ET
Diwali sales give retailers relief, finally KOLKATA | MUMBAI: Sales of apparel, smartphones, electronics and consumer products grew about 7-9% during Diwali thanks to last minute shopping, giving brick and mortar retailers a strong finish to their make-or-break festive season.Most consumer goods makers and offline retailers had been cautious about business during this year's festive season due to a slowing economy and poor consumer sentiment in both urban and rural India over the past three quarters.While purchase of entry-level products expanded at a slower pace, most retailers reported higher demand for mid-to-premium products, indicating lower-income buyers may have either postponed shopping or shifted to discount-led online portals. Also, wide availability and penetration of consumer finance boosted average transaction size.Consumption patterns have shifted, said Kishore Biyani, founder of Future Group, which runs chains such as Big Bazaar, Central and Brand Factory. Average Billing upFrequent shoppers were outnumbered by those seen as more conservative and typically don't splurge as much."Fashion did really well with Central exceeding our expectations," he said. "Having a loyal customer base, which was supported by Future Pay and cashbacks was a huge advantage to us which helped us immensely this time. Even within packaged consumer goods, gifting segment did brisk business especially at smaller stores such as Easy Day."Retailers and companies had reported better demand even during the Navratri-Durga Puja-Dussehra period with sales growing 7-8% over last year while Onam sales had reported 3-4% growth on a lower base due to floods in Kerala last year. As a result, overall festive sales grew 5-7% this year.71798714 Diwali and overall festive season sales were much better than initially anticipated, said Brian Bade, CEO of Reliance Digital, India's largest smartphone and consumer electronics retailer."There was some pessimism, but at the end we are very happy," he said. "Performance was much better than last year — same-store sales went up in double digits, average billing went up with brisk demand across categories."Puma India managing director Abhishek Ganguly said Diwali pointed to possible recovery in retail considering traffic in malls was better than in August and early September despite record sales by ecommerce marketplaces.While footfalls were similar to those last year, sales rose as the average shopping basket was bigger, some retailers said."There was a high single-digit growth on a like-to-like basis compared to last year Diwali period. We have not seen slowdown in apparel sales yet. Also, the growth was largely driven by an increase in average billing size while the walk-ins were similar to last year," said Vasanth Kumar, managing director at Lifestyle International, the country's biggest department store chain. "Post Diwali, there is a seasonal change and stores will (get) winter stock, which allows us to liquidate autumn collection at discounted prices."While OnePlus clocked Rs 1,500 crore in sales from Navratri to Dhanteras, Xiaomi had said it sold more than 500,000 smart televisions in the same period apart from a record number of smartphones. Realme said it sold over two million smartphones.Diwali was a crucial period since sales of most categories had been flat or had declined this year due to poor consumer sentiment. A fortnight ago, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) slashed its economic growth forecast for India to 6.1% for the current fiscal from its July projection of 7%, citing weaker-than-expected outlook for domestic demand.Arvind Fashions managing director J Suresh said Diwali sales grew more than 9% while the overall festive season growth stood at 5-6%. Arvind Fashions sells brands such as Gap, Arrow, Tommy Hilfiger and US Polo Assn.In smartphones and electronics, retailers and brands said sales have grown 6-8% from last year. The relatively lower pricing of Apple's new iPhone 11 and up to 30% price cuts in televisions boosted demand, with consumer finance schemes adding to the buoyancy. The latter's contribution to overall sales went up to 75% compared with the usual 55-60%."There was no doubt some impact of negative sentiments since the number of shoppers who bought this year was lower than last year. However, those who purchased did of a higher value, boosting overall sales," said Vijay Sales director Nilesh Gupta, adding that sales grew 8%.Overall appliance sales went up by 6-7% with a clear shift toward premium products with little traction for entry-level products, said Vishal Mewani, director of Mumbai's leading chain Kohinoor Electronics. The festive season — from Onam in Kerala to Navratri-Durga Puja-Dussehra, Karva Chauth, Dhanteras and Diwali — is the biggest shopping period in the country accounting for almost 35-40% of annual sales of most consumer facing companies. Source: ET
CPI(M)'s Sitaram Yechury, BJP's Jay Panda to debate Article 370 at Oxford Union The Oxford Union Society will debate "Jammu & Kashmir: Should Special Status Have Been Revoked" this Wednesday with CPI (M) General Secretary Sita
Niti Aayog proposes separate regulator for medical devices NEW DELHI: Government think tank Niti Aayog has rejected the health ministry's proposal to bring medical devices under the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), saying the body does not have the required expertise. People aware of the matter said the Aayog has instead moved a draft Bill proposing that medical devices be governed by a separate regulator.Earlier this month, the ministry had issued a draft notification saying that all medical devices would come under the category of drugs from December 1 and would be regulated under the Drugs & Cosmetics Act.A senior official confirmed to ET that there is some support for Niti Aayog's view in the government that it is inappropriate to allow CDSCO to regulate medical devices as they have expertise in pharmacy/chemicals and not in devices.People familiar with the development told ET that the Aayog has floated a draft Bill to regulate over 6,000 bio medical devices in the country."The Bill proposes a separate regulator for medical devices on the lines of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), an autonomous body under the health ministry," one of the persons cited earlier said, requesting not to be named.71798654 In India, only 23 categories of medical devices are regulated under the Drugs and Cosmetics (D&C) Act. The ministry's notification said all medical devices will be brought under regulation in a phased manner.It has proposed seven categories of devices intended for use in human beings or animals as drugs with effect from December 1, 2019, while ultrasound equipment would be treated as drugs from November 1, 2020."Ministry of health should clearly define that its current regulations to define devices as drugs and their regulation by CDSCO is a temporary measure till a separate medical devices law and a competent regulatory authority is formed as devices are not drugs," Rajiv Nath, forum coordinator of the Association of Indian Medical Devices Industry said.India's medical devices market is the fourth largest in Asia–after Japan, China and South Korea–at over $10 billion and is projected to grow to $50 billion by 2025. Source: ET
TS SBTET C18 Diploma Revaluation Result 2019
