Satellites such as Sentinel-1 (pictured) and ALOS-2 carry advanced synthetic aperture radars that can provide data that can be used to map changing land cover, ground deformation, ice shelves and glaciers. Dr Sreejith says they can also be used in detecting nuclear tests
The nucler weapon detonated underground by North Korea in 2017 could have been 17 times as powerful as the "Little Boy" bomb dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima in 1945.
According to research recently published in the Geophysical Journal International, the North Korean blast released energy equivalent to 245 and 271 kilotons of TNT. In contrast, the "Little Boy" bomb that the U.S. deployed over Hiroshima contained a blast yield of 15 kilotons.
North Korea kick-started its nuclear program after withdrawing from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons in 2003. The first of a series of nuclear tests took place three years later, in 2006, and culminated in the testing of what experts suspect was a hydrogen bomb on September 3, 2017.
* Video was filmed by US Air National Guard Technical Sergeant Phillip Cowen * It shows the moment when a 138th Fighter Wing Tulsa F-16 Viper clears through another aircraft's contrail * In the footage, the jet manages to fly in and out of the vapor stream * The jet was flying over the Pacific Missile Range Facility on the island of Kauai, Hawaii
Wild video shows the moment a fighter jet flying over Hawaii speeds through another aircraft's contrail.
Video shared by US Air National Guard Technical Sergeant Phillip Cowen shows a 138th Fighter Wing Tulsa F-16 Viper clearing through the air stream.
In the footage, the jet manages to fly next to the stream for an extended period of time.
Lithuania has handed over two convicted Russian spies to Moscow, with three spies headed in the opposite direction. Two Lithuanians were freed, along with a Norwegian border guard, as part of the Cold War-style swap.
Russia and Lithuania conducted a spy swap at a border checkpoint between the Baltic state and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad on Friday.
The exchange involved two Russians convicted of espionage — Nikolai Filipchenko and Sergei Moiseyenko — and two Lithuanians found guilty of spying — Yevgeny Mataitis and Aristidas Tamosaitis.
It also included the Norwegian national Frode Berg, a retired border inspector who was arrested in December 2017.
Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg hailed the release of Berg, who was sentenced to 14 years in prison in April for collecting information about Russian nuclear submarines.
President Trump has granted clemency to two Army officers accused or convicted of war crimes and restored Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher to the rank of chief petty officer after he was docked a pay grade after being convicted of posing for a photo with a dead Islamic State (ISIS) fighter, the White House announced Friday.
Army 1st Lt. Clint Lorance could be released from the military prison at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, as soon as Friday evening, six years after being found guilty of second-degree murder. Maj. Matt Golsteyn, a former Green Beret, will have the murder charge against him dropped.
WATCH: Follow the increase of global #debt over two decades.
Latest IIF Global Debt Monitor finds global debt has now surpassed a record $250T & is projected to reach $255T by the end of 2019. pic.twitter.com/D001VVzZmD
There are three certainties in life: death, taxes and that global debt will keep rising in perpetuity.
Addressing the third, yesterday the Institute of International Finance reported that global debt has now hit $250 trillion and is expected to hit a record $255 trillion at the end of 2019, up $12 trillion from $243 trillion at the end of 2018, and nearly $32,500 for each of the 7.7 billion people on planet.
Vladimir Putin: "The Dollar Enjoyed Great Trust Around The World. But For Some Reason It Is Being Used As A Political Weapon, Imposing Restrictions. Many Countries Are Now Turning Away From The Dollar As A Reserve Currency. US Dollar Will Collapse Soon." pic.twitter.com/03WunqgCDd
WNU Editor: Russian President Putin's prediction will take a long time to happen. The U.S. dollar as a reserve currency will lose its status if one of two things happen. If the U.S. continues to accumulate massive debts without growing its economy .... I predict that if current debt trends continue that will happen within 20 years. Or .... something better comes along (i.e. a better and more stable currency), which I do not see happening anytime soon (i.e. in the next decade or two). But Putin is right about this observation. President Trump has weaponized the U.S. dollar, and it is hurting those countries that are bearing the brunt of U.S. sanctions .... i.e. Iran, Venezuela, etc.. In my opinion. In today's world the dollar as a weapon is far more effective than the U.S. military, and President Trump is using it.
COLOMBO (Reuters) - Sri Lankans packed into polling stations on Saturday to choose a new president for the island-nation still struggling to recover from Easter Sunday attacks on hotels and churches that have heavily weighed on its tourism-dependent economy.
Former defense secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who oversaw the military defeat of Tamil separatists 10 years ago, and government minister Sajith Premadasa are locked in a close fight, politicians and analysts say.
Rajapaksa has vowed to overhaul national security, playing on the fears of the majority Sinhalese Buddhists following the April suicide bombings claimed by Islamic State that killed more than 250 people.
Bolivia's political crisis turned deadly after security forces opened fire on supporters of Evo Morales in a central town, killing at least five people, injuring dozens and threatening the interim government's efforts to restore stability following the resignation of the former president in an election dispute.
Most of the dead and injured Friday in Sacaba near the city of Cochabamba suffered bullet wounds, Guadalberto Lara, director of the town's Mexico Hospital, told The Associated Press. He called it the worst violence he's seen in his 30-year career.
The formidable fighter jet was the F-35 of its day.
* The F-4 Phantom, introduced in the 1960s, is slowly disappearing from air forces worldwide. * The old jet was as versatile as the F-35, capable of both air to air and air to ground missions. * The F-35 is even operated by most of the countries that originally flew the F-4--that is, everyone except for Iran and Turkey.
The era of the F-4 Phantom, once one of the most popular fighter jets of the postwar age, is coming to a close. The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II, first introduced in the 1960s, is slowly fading away as it's being replaced in many air forces by the F-35.
The F-4 Phantom II first flew in 1958. The sequel to the otherwise obscure FH Phantom, the F-4 was originally designed as an attack fighter, a fighter jet capable of duking it out air-to-air with other fighters, but also capable of dropping bombs on target on the ground. The F-4 was large, with two J-79 engines and a crew of two, and proved adaptable to a variety of tasks. The airplane's crooked nose, serrated wing, and large air intakes were emblematic of Western air power during the Cold War.
People protest against increased gas price, on a highway in Tehran, Iran November 16, 2019. Nazanin Tabatabaee/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS
DUBAI (Reuters) - One person was killed in the Iranian city of Sirjan during protests that erupted after President Hassan Rouhani's government imposed gasoline rationing and price hikes of at least 50 percent, Iranian ISNA news agency reported on Saturday.
The government announced on Friday that the price of a liter of regular gasoline would increased to 15,000 rials ($0.13 cents) from 10,000 rials and the monthly ration for each private car was set at 60 liters. Additional purchases would cost 30,000 rials per liter.
The measure by a top decision-making economic council sparked angered across the country. Iranians have faced economic pressure since last year when President Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. from the Iran nuclear deal and reimposed sanctions on the country.
Three B-52 Stratofortresses assigned to the 2nd Bomb Wing from Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana in formation after completing missions over the Baltic Sea for Bomber Task Force Europe 20-1, October 23, 2019. US Air Force/SSgt. Trevor T. McBride
* US B-52 bombers and airmen deployed to the UK in October for Bomber Task Force 20-1. * Bomber Task Force deployments are meant train US aircrews while reassuring partners and deterring foes. * This rotation, which ended this week, was no different, as US bombers flew all over Europe and into the high north.
Four US Air Force B-52 bombers from the 2nd Bomb Wing at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana arrived in England with about 300 airmen on October 10 for a bomber task force deployment.
The bombers were deployed to RAF Fairford to "conduct integration and interoperability training" with partners in the region and to "exercise Air Force Global Strike Command's ability to conduct bomber operations from a forward operating location" in support of US Air Forces in Europe and US European Command.
Amid heightened tensions with Russia after its 2014 seizure of Crimea, bomber task force exercises over Europe are also meant to reassure US partners and to be a deterrent to Moscow — this deployment, like others before it, also saw US bombers fly close to Russia in Eastern Europe and the high north.
* Troops on the streets may enrage protesters and stoke more controversy over Chinese-ruled territory's status * Clashes with police increasingly violent, and China has warned any attempt at independence will be crushed * By late afternoon, the soldiers had left the streets outside Baptist University, which neighbours their barracks * Up to 12,000 troops believed to be based across Hong Kong - more than double the usual garrison number
China's People's Liberation Army soldiers in shorts and t-shirts made a surprising appearance on the streets of Hong Kong on Saturday, helping residents clean up debris and barricades after anti-government protests blocked roads.
The presence of PLA troops on the streets, even to help clean up roads near their base, could enrage protesters and stoke further controversy over the Chinese-ruled territory's autonomous status.
Up to 12,000 soldiers are now believed to be based across Hong Kong - more than double the usual garrison number, foreign envoys and security analysts estimate.
Losing these sensitive components could represent a huge technological loss.
Just hours after we posted a story about a report that an Israeli Stunner surface-to-air missile used in the David's Sling medium-range air defense system fell into Syrian territory and was transferred by the Assad regime to Russia, images have appeared on social media showing what appears to be the intact fuse section of a Tamir interceptor used by the Iron Dome system. This proximity fuse system is highly advanced as it has to detect a small and fast-flying target—a rocket in most cases—and detonate the missile's warhead with perfect timing in order to destroy it. It is also highly miniaturized yet hardened enough to withstand the extreme G forces sustained by the super-maneuverable interceptor.
(PRAGUE) — About a quarter of a million Czechs gathered on the 30th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution that brought an end to decades of communist rule in the country to give Prime Minister Andrej Babis an ultimatum — sell your business or quit your job.
Protesters from across the Czech Republic attended Saturday’s demonstration, the second massive protest opposing Babis at Letna park, the scene of massive gatherings in 1989 that greatly contributed to the fall of communism.
Police estimated some 250,000 people attended the demonstration.
The demonstrators see the populist billionaire and his ally, pro-Russian President Milos Zeman as a threat to democracy. They have given Babis a deadline of Dec. 31 to get rid of his business and media empire or resign.
“We won’t give up until you’re gone,” said Mikulas Minar, a student who put his studies on hold to lead a group called Million Moments for Democracy that organizes the demonstrations against Babis.
Babis was required to transfer ownership of his businesses that includes a conglomerate of some 250 companies and two major newspapers to two trust funds in February 2017.
But his critics, including Transparency International, say he still maintains control and a preliminary European Union report leaked to media concluded the same, saying Babis is in a position to influence the EU subsidies companies receive.
Babis denies wrongdoing and says there’s no reason for him to resign.
“It’s great that people can express their view and nobody persecutes and attacks them,” Babis said.
Over 250,000 were at the previous rally at the same place in June which was considered the biggest anti-government protest since the end of communism.
“Resign, resign,” the crowd chanted, facing a banner on the big stage that read “We want healthy democracy.”
Babis also faces allegations that he collaborated with Czechoslovakia’s secret police before 1989, and has been criticized for his government’s power-sharing deal he signed July 10 last year that gave the Communist Party a role in governing for the first time since the Velvet Revolution.
The Communists are not part of the minority coalition government of Babis’ centrist ANO movement and the left-leaning Social Democrats but enabled the government’s creation by supporting it in a confidence vote.
Babis’ movement won the parliamentary election on October 2017 but his first minority government lost a confidence vote in January 2018 and had to resign. Zeman asked him to form a government again.
“I’m here because I consider Babis and Zeman an evil,” said Zbynek Fiedler, who traveled 350 kilometers (220 miles) from the eastern city of Ostrava to Prague with friends.
“They destroy our society,” the 68-year-old pensioner said.
The organizers are set to announce a new wave of protests on Jan. 7 if Babis doesn’t meet their demands.
(DUBAI, United Arab Emirates) — Protesters angered by Iran raising government-set gasoline prices by 50% blocked traffic in major cities and occasionally clashed with police Saturday after a night of demonstrations punctuated by gunfire, in violence that reportedly killed at least one person.
The protests put renewed pressure on Iran’s government as it struggles to overcome the U.S. sanctions strangling the country after President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew America from Tehran’s nuclear deal with world powers.
Though largely peaceful, demonstrations devolved into violence in several instances, with online videos purporting to show police officers firing tear gas at protesters and mobs setting fires. While representing a political risk for President Hassan Rouhani ahead of February parliamentary elections, it also shows the widespread anger among Iran’s 80 million people who have seen their savings evaporate amid scarce jobs and the national rial currency’s collapse.
The demonstrations took place in over a dozen cities in the hours following Rouhani’s decision at midnight Thursday to cut gasoline subsidies to fund handouts for Iran’s poor. Gasoline in the country still remains among the cheapest in the world, with the new prices jumping up to a minimum of 15,000 rials per liter of gas — 50% up from the day before. That’s 13 cents a liter, or about 50 cents a gallon. A gallon of regular gasoline in the U.S. costs $2.60 by comparison.
But in a nation where many get by as informal taxi drivers, cheap gasoline is considered a birthright. Iran is home to the world’s fourth-largest crude oil reserves. While expected for months, the decision still caught many by surprise and sparked immediate demonstrations overnight.
Violence broke out Friday night in Sirjan, a city some 800 kilometers (500 miles) southeast of Tehran. The state-run IRNA news agency said “protesters tried to set fire to the oil depot, but they were stopped by police.” It did not elaborate, but online videos circulating on Iranian social media purported to show a fire at the depot as sirens wailed in the background. Another showed a large crowd shouting: “Rouhani, shame on you! Leave the country alone!”
Mohammad Mahmoudabadi, an Interior Ministry official in Sirjan, later told state television that police and demonstrators exchanged gunfire, wounding several. He said many protestors were peaceful, but later masked men armed with guns and knives infiltrated the demonstration.
“They insisted on reaching the oil depot and creating crises,” Mahmoudabadi said.
The semi-official ISNA news agency later quoted Mahmoudabadi as saying the violence killed one person.
In Iran’s oil-rich Khuzestan province, online videos purported to show police firing tear gas on crowds. The province’s city of Khorramshahr also saw gunfire, as could be heard in a brief clip played on air by state television. The region has long been a political tinderbox, with its ethnic Arab population that feels disenfranchised from the country’s Persian-language majority.
Saturday morning, the start of the Iranian workweek, saw protesters stop cars on major roadways across the capital, Tehran. Peaceful protesters blocked traffic on Tehran’s Imam Ali Highway, calling for police to join them as the season’s first snow fell, according to online videos. A dump truck later dropped bricks on the roadway to cheers.
A large crowd in the city of Kermanshah demonstrated and later drew tear gas fire from police, a video showed. Others reportedly clashed in Tabriz, another major Iranian city. The online videos corresponded to Associated Press reporting on the protest.
Such protests require prior approval from Iran’s Interior Ministry, though authorities routinely allow small-scale demonstrations over economic issues, especially as the country has struggled with currency devaluation.
It wasn’t immediately clear if police made arrests. Iranian state television aired a segment Friday night trying to dispute the claims of opposition satellite news channels about the protests, calling their videos of demonstrations “fake news” in English. Demonstrators in many online videos Saturday began identifying the time and place in response.
Iranian internet access meanwhile saw disruptions and outages Friday night into Saturday, suggesting “a response to limit attendance and media coverage of the protests,” according to the group NetBlocks, which monitors worldwide internet access.
Protester chants mirrored many from the late 2017 economic protests, which resulted in nearly 5,000 reported arrests and at least 25 people being killed. Some criticized Iran’s spending abroad on Palestinians and others while the country’s people remain poor. Protests meanwhile continue in Iraq and Lebanon, two Mideast nations home to Iranian proxies and crucial to Tehran’s influence abroad.
Iran long has suffered economic problems since its 1979 Islamic Revolution cut off its decades-long relationship with the U.S. Its eight-year war with Iraq in the 1980s followed, further straining its economy.
The collapse of the nuclear deal has exacerbated those problems. The Iranian rial, which traded at 32,000 to $1 at the time of the accord, fell to 122,600 to $1 in trading Saturday. Iran has since begun breaking terms of the deal as it tries to force Europe to come up with a way to allow it to sell crude oil abroad despite American sanctions.
Henry Rome, an analyst at the Eurasia Group, said that after mass protests, Rouhani was forced to back down from a 2017 plan to increase fuel prices by 50%.
“The government was clearly attuned to this risk: The latest announcement was made in the middle of the night before a weekend,” Rome said. “It took effect immediately, and it was announced without direct consultation with lawmakers.”
(PARIS) — Scuffles between Paris police and activists on Saturday marred the anniversary of the birth of the yellow vest movement against government policies seen as favoring the rich.
On a day of largely peaceful demonstrations across France, there were a few violent incidents in the capital that ended up with police firing off tear gas and water cannon.
Paris police chief Didier Lallement denounced “people who came not to defend a cause but to destruct things” and deplored “attacks against security forces but also against firefighters.”
Police used tear gas as protesters tried to smash windows and enter into a shopping mall. Some were seen throwing stones at officers and setting fire to several vehicles, street trash cans and other urban equipment on Place d’Italie, in the southeast of the capital.
Earlier, the windows of a bank and several bus shelters in the area had been broken, leading to several police charges.
Police have managed to dislodge protesters trying to block the bypass around Paris in the morning and were progressively evacuating Place d’Italie during the afternoon.
Lallement noted that most protesters marched in a “quite serene” atmosphere in another demonstration from northwestern Paris to Bastille plaza, in the east of the capital.
Police had detained 105 people by late afternoon and 71 people have been fined for protesting in a forbidden area. All demonstrations were banned in a large perimeter including the Champs-Elysees, the presidential palace and both houses of parliament.
Protests were taking place around the country at traffic circles where the grassroots movement first took root in November 2018 in protest at plans to raise fuel taxes. For weeks, the protesters brought large parts of the country to a standstill.
No major incident was reported outside Paris on Saturday afternoon.
The outpouring of anger at perceived social and economic injustice eventually prompted President Emmanuel Macron to reverse some of his tax plans and to offer 10 billion euros ($11 billion) in measures to address protesters’ concerns.
Some protesters in Paris wore the high-visibility vests drivers are required to carry in their cars that gave the movement its name. Other demonstrators wore all black, their faces protected with gas masks.
Waving French flags, blowing whistles, and beating drums, some demonstrators marched in northwestern Paris streets, singing their trademark song: “We are here, we are here. Even if Macron doesn’t want it, we are here.”
Dozens of police in riot gear guarded the Arc de Triomphe overlooking the Champs-Elysees, which was the scene of weekly rioting and police crackdowns at the height of last year’s protests.
Corentin Pihel, 28, said he traveled to Paris from Montpellier to mark the movement’s anniversary. He joined the yellow vest movement two weeks after it began, identifying with its mission as a struggling student at the time.
“In the beginning, I found that the movement made a lot of sense, to mobilize from the bottom for better buying power,” Pihel said. “But after, it enlarged its communication to become much greater — it’s just people who want to live. And I felt a real solidarity.”
Cathy Nauleau, 44, came to Paris from eastern France to participate as “we’re still exactly in the same place but we won’t give up.”
The French government has also pledged to cut taxes for households next year by 9 billion euros ($9.8 billion), a spending boost that has its roots in the yellow vest movement.
Rosa Drissi, who joined the movement on its first day, said she struggles to make ends meet with just 800 euros per month. She said she’s protesting “for my retirement, and for my buying power.”
Drissi said the movement has evolved since the start.
“We were novices at the beginning. We didn’t know politics; we didn’t know how to be in the streets. We didn’t know how to protest,” she said. “We made errors, we made mistakes. That’s normal.”
Now, they’ve honed their protest tactics, she said. “We want to be heard. We want money — but just what we need.”
Natasha Weens said she joined the movement in January to push for “a democratic regime.”
“We don’t want any more a representative democracy, but rather participative democracy,” she said.
Some protesters in other countries subsequently adopted the yellow vests as a symbol of anti-government anger.
___
Associated Press writers Angela Charlton and Sylvie Corbet contributed to this report.
(VENICE, Italy) — Tourists and residents were allowed back into St. Mark’s Square in Venice on Saturday, a day after it was closed due to exceptionally high tidal waters that swept through most of the lagoon city’s already devastated center.
Despite sunny skies, the city remained on edge due to possibly more wind-propelled high tidal waters during the weekend. The city was struck Tuesday by devastating floods, the worst in decades.
Water rose up again in St. Mark’s Square on Saturday and the forecast for Sunday was worse. The tide peaked at 1.10 meters (3 feet, 7 inches) above sea level on Saturday at noon, leaving St. Mark’s inundated with more than 20 centimeters (8 inches) of water.
Late Tuesday, water levels in Venice reached 1.87 meters (6 feet, 1 inch) above sea level, the highest flooding since 1966. The forecast for Sunday was for the high water mark to reach 1.6 meters (5.2 feet) above sea level.
On Saturday, tourists sloshed through St. Mark’s Square and strolled across it on raised walkways. Many snapped photos of themselves standing in shallow water in front of St. Mark’s Square to document their presence during this exceptional high-water season. Museums filled up again with tourists and the city’s gondolas were back in business. But the city’s museums were expected to shut down on Sunday due to the threat of high water.
Luigi Brugnaro, the city’s mayor, estimated damages from the flooding would reach at least 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion). He said a final tally of the damage to homes, businesses, stores and the city’s rich cultural heritage would be done once the city dries out, according to Italian media.
“Venice is once again being watched by the world and it needs to show that it can succeed and pick itself back up,” the mayor said in an interview with the Gazzettino and Messaggero newspapers.
Brugnaro said Venice was setting up programs to help cover damages sustained by individuals and businesses, noting that families could expect up to 5,000 euros ($5,500) and businesses up to 20,000 euros ($22,000) in aid. He said businesses and individuals suffering even more serious losses could possibly qualify for aid covering up to 70% of damages.
Among those recovering from Tuesday’s devastating high waters was Sabrina Laggia and her husband. She was blowing dry stone jewelry made by her husband, Alfredo, in their workshop near St. Mark’s Square. She was dreading forecasts for more high water on Sunday.
“We have been here 30 years and we have never seen anything like this,’’ she said. “Lots of acqua alta, but never this high.” “Acqua alta” is the term Venetians use to describe flooding from wind-driven high tides.
Alfredo said they used to feel safe if the forecast said anything up to 1.4 meters (4.6 feet) – about the level they expected Tuesday night only to be surprised when it surged to 1.87 meters without warning.
He spent until 2 a.m. Tuesday in their store, named “Not Just Wine,” moving his creations to higher positions. But the water reached about 50 centimeters (19.6 inches) in height – well above the usual 10 centimeters to 15 centimeters (4 inches to 6 inches). Finally there was no place else to move objects in the tiny workshop.
The couple lost an air conditioner and a small soldering gun in the store and a washing machine at their home nearby.
Sabrina was rinsing her husband’s creations – which include filigree bags with velvet detailing and Swarovski crystal-encrusted masks – with fresh water and blowing them dry, but she was uncertain if what she was doing will really do the trick against the lagoon’s salt water.
An employee at another shop, Dorina Balku, was cleaning up Murano glass creations. They lost one large glass fish in the flood that is priced at over 3,000 euros ($3,300) and another large vase. While much of the glass could be cleaned, the jewelry made from the glass beads would have to be taken apart and remade to be salvaged because the fixtures had already corroded from the salty, briny water.
“What can we do? It happened. It is important that people are OK,’’ she said.
On Thursday, the government declared a state of emergency, approving 20 million euros ($22.1 million) to help Venice repair the most urgent damage.
Built on a series of tiny islets amid a system of canals, Venice is particularly vulnerable to a combination of rising sea levels due to climate change coupled with the city’s well-documented sinking into the mud. The sea level in Venice is 10 centimeters (4 inches) higher than it was 50 years ago, according to the city’s tide office.
The flooding has left Italians exasperated at the incompletion of the city’s long-delayed Moses flood defense project. Moses consists of a series of moveable barriers in the lagoon that can be raised when high winds and high tides combine to threaten to send “acqua alta” rushing across the city.
Completion of the multibillion-euro project, under construction since 2003, has been delayed by corruption scandals, cost overruns and opposition from environmentalists worried about its effects on Venice’s delicate lagoon ecosystem.
“They need to finish the Moses tomorrow,’’ said Sabrina Laggia. “Not next year.”
(HONG KONG) — Chinese troops came out of the barracks in Hong Kong on Saturday — not to quell protests but to help clean up.
It was a rare public appearance by the People’s Liberation Army on the streets of the semiautonomous territory, where the local government’s inability to end more than five months of often violent protest has fueled speculation that Beijing could deploy its troops.
Running in formation with brooms instead of rifles, they chanted in military cadence before joining street cleaners removing debris near Hong Kong Baptist University, where police fired tear gas during at protesters earlier this week.
Most anti-government protesters left Hong Kong’s universities Saturday after occupying them for about a week. Small contingents that remained harassed some of those cleaning up and kept a major cross-harbor tunnel closed.
For a city now accustomed to fierce weekend clashes between police and protesters, Hong Kong had a relatively quiet Saturday. About 1,000 people turned out for an annual Gay Pride event in the center of the city.
Dozens of Chinese troops, dressed in black shorts and olive drab T-shirts, came out from a nearby barracks to pick up paving stones, rocks and other obstacles that had cluttered the street and prevented traffic from flowing. Hong Kong riot police kept watch from nearby streets.
China, which maintains a garrison of about 10,000 soldiers in Hong Kong, publicly noted several times earlier during the protests that it could deploy them, though technically it would have to be requested by Hong Kong’s government.
Doing so, however, would incur international criticism and revive memories of the army’s bloody crackdown on pro-democracy protesters at Tiananmen Square in 1989.
There were scattered incidents of protesters arguing with people clearing roadways, and in one instance, throwing a gasoline bomb near City University of Hong Kong.
Protesters also massed near Hong Kong University in the evening to try to block a main road again, but they were stopped by police firing pepper-spray balls.
Several dozen protesters remained at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, some keeping watch on the blocked access road to the Cross-Harbour Tunnel, where they torched the toll booths on previous nights.
Traffic disruptions continued to plague parts of Hong Kong, and schools and universities remained closed in the city of 7.5 million people.
Now in their sixth month, the anti-government protests have grown increasingly violent even as they have shrunk in size, often causing chaos in the streets.
The protests were sparked by a government decision to submit legislation that would have allowed the extradition of criminal suspects to the mainland. Activists saw it as an erosion of Hong Kong’s autonomy under the “one country, two systems” formula implemented in 1997, when Britain returned the territory to China.
The bill has been withdrawn, but the protests have expanded into a wider resistance movement against what is perceived as the growing control of Hong Kong by Communist China, along with calls for more autonomy for the territory.
Universities have become the focus of the protests in the past week and the main battleground between pro-democracy activists and the police.
Police retook control of suburban Chinese University of Hong Kong after students and protesters left.
Authorities said that all lanes of Tolo Highway, which the Chinese University protesters had blocked, were reopened around midday.
Police and protesters fought intense running battles at the Chinese University campus Tuesday, which had been transformed into a fortress by hundreds of protesters.
Except for the Polytechnic University in Kowloon, most of the remaining nine major universities in the city were for the most part no longer occupied, except by a handful of protesters. A hardcore group retained their grip on Polytechnic.
Students there have amassed a huge arsenal that includes hundreds of Molotov cocktails, rocks and paving stones. The campus is adjacent to a major road tunnel under the water to Hong Kong island that has been closed for days after protesters set toll booths on fire.
Service remained partially suspended on at least three of Hong Kong’s 12 rail lines because of damage to stations and other facilities, and many of the city’s buses were not running.
The presidents of nine universities issued a joint statement late Friday calling on the government to resolve the political deadlock and restore safety and public order.
“No political viewpoint gives a license to damage property, employ physical threats, or use violence against individuals,” the statement read in part. “It is regrettable that societal disagreement has led to university campuses becoming major political battlefields, and that the government response has so far not been effective.”
Many universities have canceled classes for the rest of the year and hundreds of foreign students, and from mainland China, had left or were leaving Hong Kong. Some protesters targeted mainland students, while foreign students were asked to leave by their universities or governments.
Hong Kong media reported Saturday that at least 300 Dutch exchange students were asked by their home universities to return home because of the violence.
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Associated Press news assistant Nadia Lam contributed to this story.
(SACABA, Bolivia) — Bolivia’s political crisis turned deadly again when security forces opened fire on supporters of Evo Morales. Officials said Saturday that at least eight people died and dozens were injured in an incident that threatens the interim government’s efforts to restore stability following the resignation of the former president in an election dispute.
Most of the dead and injured Friday in Sacaba, near the city of Cochabamba, had been shot, Guadalberto Lara, director of the town’s Mexico Hospital, told The Associated Press. He called it the worst violence he’s seen in his 30-year career.
The national Ombudsman’s Office said Sunday the death toll had risen to eight.
Angry demonstrators and relatives of the victims gathered at the site of the shootings, chanting: “Civil war, now!”
Morales, who was granted asylum in Mexico after his Nov. 10 resignation, said on Twitter that a “massacre” had occurred and he described the interim government led by Jeanine Áñez as a dictatorship.
“Now they are killing our brothers in Sacaba, Cochabamba,” he said in another tweet.
At least 13 other people had died during weeks of earlier protests against Morales before his departure, according to the Ombudsman’s Office. Several came in clashes between the president’s backers and those accusing him of fraudulently trying to win reelection.
The U.N. human rights chief, former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet issued a statement Saturday calling the deaths “an extremely dangerous development.”
“I am really concerned that the situation in Bolivia could spin out of control if the authorities do not handle it sensitively and in accordance with international norms,” she said in a statement.
“The country is split and people on both sides of the political divide are extremely angry. In a situation like this, repressive actions by the authorities will simply stoke that anger even further and are likely to jeopardize any possible avenue for dialogue,” she added.
Protesters said police fired when demonstrators, including many coca leaf growers who backed Bolivia’s first indigenous president, tried to cross a military checkpoint. Emeterio Colque Sánchez, a 23-year-old university student, said he saw the dead bodies of several protesters and about two dozen people rushed to hospitals, many covered in blood.
Presidency Minister Jerjes Justiniano told reporters in La Paz that five people had been killed and an estimated 22 were injured.
He accused protesters of using “military weapons.”
Lara, the hospital director, said that 75 people were injured.
Earlier in the day, Áñez said Morales would face possible legal charges for election fraud if he returns home from Mexico City.
Áñez also has said Morales would not be allowed to participate in new presidential elections, which are supposed to be held within three months.
The ousted leader, meanwhile, contended this week he is still president since the country’s legislature has not yet approved his resignation.
Morales stepped down following nationwide protests over suspected vote-rigging in an Oct. 20 election in which he claimed to have won a fourth term in office. An Organization of American States audit of the vote found widespread irregularities. Morales has denied there was fraud.
Families of the victims held a candlelight vigil late Friday in Sacaba. A tearful woman put her hand on a wooden casket surrounded by flowers and asked: “Is this what you call democracy? Killing us like nothing?” Another woman cried and prayed in Quechua over the coffin of Omar Calle, which was draped both in the Bolivian national flag and the multicolor “Wiphala” flag that represents indigenous peoples.
Bolivia’s Ombudsman’s Office called on the interim government to investigate if the security forces had acted within the constitution and international protocols on human rights.
“We express our alarm and concern over the result of an attempt to stop a demonstration by coca leaf growers from entering the city of Cochabamba,” it said, adding that it had counted 13 earlier deaths since the protests began.
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights condemned what it called “the disproportionate use of police and military force” in the clash.
“Firearms must be excluded from the operations used to control the social protests,” the commission said on Twitter with along with a video that showed the five people lying dead on a blanket on the floor. Soldiers and police in riot gear had been patrolling the area with armored vehicles in the previous days.
“We’re not going to let them make us flee, nor humiliate us. Let me say to Mrs. Añez that she must denounce this. If not the whole country is going to close in on her,” said Enrique Mamani, 21, a local resident. “They have carried out a state coup, paid off the military, paid off the police. There’s political persecution against our leaders.”
Backers of the interim government deny any coup, saying police and the military withdrew backing from Morales only to avoid shedding civilian blood during the massive protests against him.
Supporters of Morales, who had been Bolivia’s president for almost 14 years and was the last survivor from the “pink tide” of South American leftist leaders, have been staging disruptive protests since his ouster, setting up blockades that forced closure of schools and caused shortages of gasoline in the capital.
“There’s no gas,” said Efraín Mendoza, a taxi driver from El Alto, who was forced to buy gasoline on the black market at twice the regular price.
“Products are scarce. There’s no meat, no chicken, people are making long lines. It’s all because of the blockades,” he said. “There’s division in Bolivia. It’s exasperating.”
Áñez, who had been the highest-ranking opposition official in the Senate, proclaimed herself president when Morales resigned, saying every person in the line of succession ahead of her —all of them Morales backers — had resigned.
The Constitutional Court issued a statement backing her claim that she didn’t need to be confirmed by Congress, a body controlled by Morales’ Movement Toward Socialism party.
Much of the opposition to Morales sprang from his refusal to accept a referendum that would have forbidden him from seeking a new term.
__
Associated Press Writers Carlos Valdez and Paola Flores in La Paz contributed to this report.
On Nov. 17, 1989, student protesters filled the streets of Prague. It was eight days after the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the same tide of freedom that had swept Berlin seemed to have come to the Czech capital. Police tried to beat back the demonstrators, hoping to tamp down the demand for freedom, but the people seemed to have grown immune to the brutality of the regime; the show of force only galvanized the resistance.
The students were joined in the coming days by Czechoslovak citizens of all ages. By Nov. 20, a half-million Czechs and Slovaks filled Prague’s streets and took over Wenceslas Square. The Communists were forced out. By the end of 1989, Czechoslovakia was on its way to having an elected President for the first time since 1948.
The events of those world-changing days would come to be known as the Velvet Revolution. But, while the Velvet Revolution was over relatively quickly, it had been decades in the making.
The Failed “Prague Spring”
In January of 1968, the USSR gave the leadership of Czechoslovakia to someone new: Alexander Dubček. Dubček had fought against German forces during WWII, joining the communist party in his country after the end of the war. He rose through the ranks, serving in the parliament and general assembly as part of a new generation of Slovak communists. Compared to his successor, the Stalinist Antonin Novotny, Dubček was liberal. Within months, he implemented governmental and economic reforms and allowed citizens increased freedom of speech, including freedom of the press. The people of Czechoslovakia embraced the changes and the period of Dubček’s liberalism became known as Prague Spring.
Like the spring, it was fleeting. By August of 1968 the Soviet Union had enough. A more liberal Czechoslovakia was a threat to its regional power and could signal weakness on the world stage. Over half a million Warsaw Pact troops invaded Czechoslovakia; Soviet tanks rolled through the narrow streets of Prague, crushing mostly student-led protests. Soviet loyalist Gustav Husak replaced Dubcek and returned the country to an authoritarian communist regime — but something had changed.
“For once, the Communist and non-Communist worlds — and some countries that find themselves in between — joined in a general condemnation of Soviet force,” TIME noted in a cover story that week. “The free world is accustomed to condemning Russian inroads and intransigence, from the brutal putdown of the Hungarian revolt to the erection of the Berlin Wall. In the past, most Communist countries and parties have either wholeheartedly supported such transgressions — or at least closed their eyes to them — but no longer. Last week, in one country after another, Communists found themselves on the side of the Czechoslovaks.”
The following January, Jan Palach, a Charles University student in Prague, entered a suicide pact with several fellow students. They were determined to protest the Soviet invasion and combat growing despondency among citizens after the takeover.
On Jan. 16, 1969, Palach climbed the steps of the National Museum near the bustling train station on the edge of Wenceslas Square. There he doused himself with gasoline and lit a match. In his suicide note he signed his name as “Torch Number 1” — suggesting more self-immolation and protests to come. (Jan Zadjic became “Torch Number 2”; though he couldn’t be directly linked to the original pact, Zadjic participated in group hunger-strike after Palach’s death and was part of the resistance.) Palach lived for three days in a hospital after sustaining burns to 85% of his body. Amazingly, he still managed to give interviews. He spoke softly, his voice rough and halting.
When asked why he had done what he did, Palach replied that he wanted to voice opposition to the Soviet invasion and “make people wake up.” He died three days later.
The Velvet Revolution
In the decades that followed, Communist rule in Czechoslovakia continued, and the resistance, although forced underground, continued to grow too. By 1989, intermittent uprisings throughout Warsaw Pact countries, the increasing militarism of Soviet governments across the region and slowing economic growth within the Eastern Bloc set the stage for revolution.
In neighboring Poland, Lech Walesa, Anna Walentynowicz and workers of Lenin Shipyards in the Polish city of Gdańsk founded the Polish trade union Solidarność — Solidarity. Strikes and non-violent civil disobedience tactics employed by Solidarity paralyzed Baltic seaports. Ultimately, former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev later said, it was the catastrophic 1986 nuclear accident at Chernobyl that sounded the death knell of the USSR: as word of the disaster spread, the human cost — already horrific — grew, and the once-content Soviet public no longer believed their government infallible. There was no going back.
In January 1989, 20 years after Jan Palach’s death, the clandestine resistance movement formed after the Soviets crushed the promise of Prague Spring planned what they dubbed “Palach Week.” For the first time since Palach’s self-immolation, they would go to the place where he fell in Wenceslas Square for as public memorial and protest against the ongoing Soviet occupation. Nearly 5,000 people came out the first evening of that week — an unthinkable number since the Prague Spring. It set the stage for what became known as the Velvet Revolution.
The English phrase “Velvet Revolution,” which the European Parliament Directorate-General for Translation credits to Czech dissident Rita Klímová, signifies the idea that the revolution was brought about without violence — even though the larger process was not always peaceful. Soldiers beat protesters, used water cannons on the crowd and made numerous arrests. A writer named Vaclav Havel was arrested that night. In 1968, Havel had been in Liberec, a small town outside the capital, when Soviet tanks rolled into his native Prague. Before the regime was able to shut down Liberec’s radio station, Havel broadcast several speeches advising fellow citizens to engage peacefully but be prepared to defend themselves, encouraging them to remain loyal to the liberal ideals of the Spring and to resist and persist. So by the time the protests began in 1989 he was a well-known dissident turned leader of a coalition of opposition movements, the Civic Forum.
But when the government-controlled newspaper Rudé Právo tried to paint the jailed Havel as a symbol of a supposedly failed freedom movement, it backfired tremendously. By Nov. 28, after constant protests and workers’ strikes, the Communists announced they would cede power, and the parliament then removed the one-party provision from the constitution.
In December, Havel’s name was put forward as the Forum’s candidate for interim president. Two months later, in February 1990, in a speech to a joint session of the U.S. congress, Havel expressed his own disbelief that he was even nominated — yet by that point, he stood before the body as President of Czechoslovakia all the same.
In 1990, the country’s first open and free national elections were held. Havel retained his seat until the Velvet Divorce — the peaceful dissolution of Czechoslovakia into the Czech and Slovak Republics in 1992 — at which point he stepped down. He then served as President of the Czech Republic from 1993-2003.
After the Revolution
While return to totalitarian rule in Eastern Europe may seem impossible, extremism persists. At this year’s commemoration of the fall of the Berlin Wall, German Chancellor Angela Merkle cautioned against complacency. “The values on which Europe is founded — freedom, democracy, equality, rule of law, human rights — they are anything but self-evident,” she said, “and they have to be revitalized and defended time and time again.”
The Czechs and Slovaks have taken to the streets again — the threat no longer Communism but right-wing populism. Last year, protests erupted in Slovakia after the murder of journalist of Jan Kuciak. In June, an estimated 200,000 Czechs flooded the streets demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Andrej Babis. Babis’ rise to power came partly thanks to his vow to crack down on corruption, but he has been accused of inappropriate use of E.U. funds. This spring, Czech police said they recommended fraud charges against him. Allies in the government declined to press such charges as Babis lashed out at the news media, saying, as the New York Times reported, that “no one should believe their lies” and he would make the Czech Republic “great again.”
On Nov. 16, crowds estimated in the hundreds of thousands are scheduled to hit the streets to again protest Babis. The student group Million Moments for Democracy organized the protest, picking the date in order to honor the beginning of the Velvet Revolution 30 years ago. Because, as one of the organizers said, without the Velvet Revolution “we wouldn’t even have had the chance to try to change things.”
Andy Kopsa is a reporter based in New York City
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KEA Recruitment 2019 Notification – Apply Online for 124 Assistant Public Prosecutor cum Assistant Government Pleader Vacancies. Candidates who are practicing as an advocate in courts of Civil and Criminal Jurisdiction in India are invited to apply for this KEA Vacant Seats. Eligible candidates can apply online by visiting the official website @www.kea.kar.nic.in. Online Registration starts from 30th October 2019. Applicants will be shortlisted by the Prelims & Mains Examination Process.
The final date to apply for the KEA Recruitment has been extended to is 30th November 2019. Candidates who have already applied are need not apply once again. Aspirants willing to apply for Karnataka Examination Authority Recruitment 2019 should meet the eligibility criteria given below. Educational qualification, age limit, Vacancy Details & Other also given in this article. The eligibility criteria given here are based on the terms & conditions given in KEA Recruitment Notification 2019.
Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA) appeared in the year 1964, has been directing SSLC and different assessments. The board manages and regulates the arrangement of Secondary instruction in Karnataka State. It executes and oversees different exercises that incorporate concocting of courses of study, recommending prospectus, leading assessments, giving acknowledgments to schools and, giving guidance, backing an initiative for all optional instructive organizations under its jurisdiction. The Karnataka Examinations Authority formerly known as CET Cell directs the Common Entrance Test (CET) for college understudies in Karnataka who wish to think about designing, prescription, dentistry or farming and Post-Graduate Common Entrance Test (PGCET) for graduate understudies in Karnataka who wish to seek after M.Tech, MCA or MBA courses.
The Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA), Bengaluru is the assigned organization of the Government of Karnataka leading Online/Offline Counseling for a portion of seats for admission to Post Graduate Degree/Diploma Courses in Medical/Dental subjects in Government Medical and Dental universities, Government Quota seats. Karnataka Common Entrance Exam ( Karnataka CET) lead possesses entrance test (Karnataka CET Exam) consistently for admission to Medical, Dental and Engineering Courses in Professional Colleges inside the State of Karnataka.
Candidates can acquire their CGPSC Admit Card 2019 here. A huge number of applicants had applied for various posts released by the officials of the Chhattisgarh Public Service Commission. Those contenders who had applied for the post are now eagerly waiting to download their CGPSC Exam Hall Ticket 2019. The admit card will be here to download when released by the officials at www.psc.cg.gov.in. Applicants are hereby informed to carry their CGPSC Hall Ticket 2019 while entering the examination hall. However, make use of the link given below to acquire your Exam Hall Ticket.
Chhattisgarh PSC has released the admit card for the post of 117 Sports Officer and Librarians. Hence, Candidates can download the admit card from the below section from today onwards. Make sure with the eligibility and download the hall ticket. The CGPSC exam will be held on 26th November 2019.
Chhattisgarh Public Service Commission has published the admit card for State Service Examination 2019. The Board has released the admit card in the month of June 2019. Thus, the Mains exam is going to be held from 23rd July to 26th July 2019. All the eligible candidates can download the CGPSC Hall Ticket from the below-provided table.
Chhattisgarh Public Service Commission board released the admit card for scientific officer exam 2019. Aspirants who applied for the CGPSC Scientific Officer vacancies can find the interview call letter link here. Click on the direct link given below and download the CGPSC Scientific Officer Exam Admit Card 2019.
CGPSC Scientific Officer Interview Call Letter 2019
Chattisgarh Public Service Commission Announced the Interview Call Letter for CGPSC State Engineering Service Examination 2017. The Candidates who cleared the Prelims & Mains examinations are now invited to attend an interview. Hence, aspirants need to carry their interview call letter on the particular date given. Here are the direct links for the CGPSC State Engg Services exam 2017 interview call letter links. Just click on the links to start downloading the CGPSC Admit Card from the link given below.
Get the CGPSC Admit Card 2018 here for the Civil Judge Mains Exams. The officials of the Chattisgarh Public Service Commission has now released the CG PSC Exam Admit Card 2018. Also, it is compulsory for the applicants to carry the CGPSC Call Letter 2018. Because without the CGPSC Exam Hall Ticket 2018 it is impossible to appear for the CGPSC Examination. Also, the CGPSC Authority will be announcing the date of the Exams within a short period of time.
CGPSC J Civil Judge Interview Schedule 2018 – Click Here
CGPSC Civil Judge Mains Exam Call Letter 2018 – Click Here
The Chattisgarh Public Service Commission has sent the CGPSC Admit Card 2018 for Ayurvedic Medical Officer Examination. So, all the applicants can download the CGPSC Exam Hall Ticket 2018. After downloading, the candidates should take the print out of the CGPSC Exam Admit Card 2018 and carry it to the examination venue. Also, the CGPSC Call Letter consists of information such as Reg No, Date and Time of the Examination, etc.
CGPSC Ayurvedic Medical Officer Admit Card 2018 – Click Here
CGPSC Admit Card 2018 is here to download the post of Asst Director, Sericulture. The hall ticket can be downloaded only by those contenders who had applied for the post. However, the admit card will be here to download when released by the officials at www.psc.cg.gov.in. Moreover, the admit card contains important information like the examination date, timings and other details. The examination for this post is held from 8th to 11th January 2018.
CGPSC Asst Director DV Interview Call Letter – Click Here
Surat Municipal Corporation Recruitment 2019 – Apply Online for 57 Shikshan Sahayak Vacancies. Gujarat Government has announced 57 Vacancies for Assistant Teacher Posts. Interested can check with the notification details of SMC Jobs in the below sections. Surat Municipal Corporation Online Application is available from 15th November 2019 @www.suratmunicipal.gov.in.Job seekers looking for Gujarat Government Jobs can use this opportunity given by Surat Municipal Corporation Jobs
Candidates who want to be get placed in Surat Municipal Corporation Jobs can use this chance. SMC Recruitment 2019 Apply Online Link is available till 29th November 2019. Interested Aspirants can begin to register for SMC Recruitment 2019 before the deadline. The Current page is fully loaded with the Information like Eligibility Criteria, Educational Qualification, Selection Process, Age limit and other details of Surat Municipal Corporation Vacancy 2019. Aspirants can get Official Notification for Surat Municipal Corporation Recruitment through the link provided below.
Eligibility Criteria for Surat Municipal Corporation Recruitment 2019
Get to know the terms and conditions regarding the SMC Jobs from the below section. Individuals under the qualifications given below can apply for the Shikshan Sakayak post. Detailed information about Surat Municipal Corporation Recruitment for Assistant Teacher is given below. Look at these sections to know more details regarding Surat Municipal Corporation Career.
Educational Qualification:
Graduation Degree and B. Ed/ B.P.Ed/ D.P.Ed from a recognized University or Institution.
Age Limit:
Maximum Age Limit – 37 Years
Application Fee:
Refer to the Surat Municipal Corporation Recruitment Notification for the Application Fee details.
Surat Municipal Corporation is nearby self-government which has appeared under the Bombay Provincial Municipal Act, 1949. It does all the compulsory capacities and optional capacities depended on the BPMC Act, 1949. Surat got one of the principal regions of India in 1852 and was changed over into a civil organization in 1966 under the Bombay Provincial Municipal (BPMC) Act, 1949.
Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) sees its job as the vital facilitator and supplier of administrations to give superior personal satisfaction for the city of Surat. SMC has reacted to the difficulties of the quickest populace development and rapid financial advancement by receiving the best urban administration rehearses. With visionary authority and solid help from residents, SMC has been instrumental in the change of the city and its development. It serves an expected 5.5 million residents and vows to convey the present day, responsible, straightforward and dynamic administration. SMC has now responded to the call of changing Surat city into the SMART City.
Kerala KMAT Admit Card 2019 |Direct Link Available to Download KMAT Kerala Entrance Hall Ticket. The University of Kerala has released the admit card for the KMAT Entrance Exams on 14th November 2019. Thus, the board has declared the exam date to be held on 01st December 2019. Hence, Aspirants who are going to take down the exam should download the hall ticket from the link provided at the bottom of the section. Get detailed information from the up coming webpage.
Important Details on Kerala KMAT Entrance Hall Ticket 2019
Examiners who are going to take down the examination must download the entrance ticket from the end of the section. All the candidates should download the hall ticket through Online mode. The University will not send the Kerala KMAT Admit Card through the post to any of the candidates. So, make sure to download the hall ticket before the exam date.
Candidates Name
Name of the Candidate's Father
The venue of the Exam Centre
Date & Time of the Test
Reporting Time to the Exam Hall
Gender (Male/ Female)
Roll Number
Duration of the Online Test
Space for Invigilator's Signature
Registration Number
Name of the Test Centre
Category of the candidates
Space for Applicant's Signature
Name of the Exam Conducting Board
Photograph of the Candidate
Applicant's Date of Birth
Name of the Written Test
Important Guidelines for the Exam Takers
Full Name of the Applicant
Examination Centre Code
Signature of the Board Counselor
Kerala KMAT Entrance Exam 2019
The University of Kerala has declared the exam date to be held on 01st December 2019. It is very important to know about the exam center details before appearing to the examination. Contenders are suggested to go through the Kerala KMAT Exam Pattern from the upcoming page.
Topic
Questions
Marks
English Language Usage and Reading Comprehension
50
200
Quantitative Aptitude
50
200
Data Sufficiency and Logical Reasoning
40
160
General Knowledge and Contemporary Business Scenario
40
160
Total
180
720
Documents along with Kerala KMAT Admit Card 2019
Aspirants must take the other required documents to the examination hall. Hence, the University allows the candidates who are carrying both the Kerala KMAT Hall Ticket and the required original documents.
Original Photograph
Voter Card
Pan Card
Employee ID
College ID
PAN Card
Passport
Driving License
Any other ID proof issued by a Gazetted Officer
Bank Pass Book with the photograph
How to Get KMAT Kerala Hall Ticket 2019?
Click on the Kerala KMAT Admit Card 2019.
Enter the Application Number and Password on the home page.
And Sign in to the admit card page.
Now, the hall ticket page will appear on the screen.
Fill the needed credentials into the hall ticket.
After filling recheck the details that you have entered.
Once done with the checking Submit the admit card.
Finally, download the hall ticket after the submission.
Take a photocopy of the Kerala KMAT Hall Ticket.
Carry for the exam and for the upcoming selection rounds.
Direct Links to Download KMAT Kerala Entrance Hall Ticket 2019-20
Gujarat Police Housing Corporation Recruitment 2019 –Walk-in for 50 Vacancies. Gujarat Government is planned for Walk-in to fill the vacancies in GSPHC Limited. There are numerous vacancies are available for Technical & Non-Technical Staff. Walk-in has stared for the Electrical Engineer, Account Assistant, Clerk, Structure Engineer, Civil Engineer & Computer Operator Post Vacancy. Interested attend the walk-in for the desired post on a scheduled date between 18th November 2019 to 03rd December 2019.
Selected candidates will be hired for the Construction work of GSPHC Limited on various divisions of Gujarat. Qualified and experienced candidates attend the Walk-in for the Gujarat Police Housing Corporation Recruitment. Aspirants will be recruited for a contractual period of 11 months. Candidates attend the interview with complete Bio-Data on a prescribed format, original testimonials & one set of self-attested xerox copies on scheduled date & time
Recruitment Details of Gujarat Police Housing Corporation Ltd
About Gujarat State Police Housing Corporation Limited
With an affirmed spending plan of Rs. 82.50 Crores, the new Commissioner of Police office is proposed at the open space in the Police Headquarters at Shahibaug, Ahmedabad. Confronting the riverfront, a province of Art place of business with all the accessible present-day security frameworks has been structured by International Architects. With an all-out developed zone of around 28,000 Smts., ground in addition to seven storeyed structure with storm cellar stopping, a notable place of business has been proposed for the Commissioner of Police, Ahmedabad.
Three-section indicates have been given methodology the workplace perplexing, one for the overall population, one formal entrance and a passage for coordinations. The ground floor and the primary floor houses open related capacities like identification segment, applications area, permit segment and so on., with the concerned supervisory officials of each particular segment on the main floor. The authoritative segment is housed from the second to the seventh floor, with the Commissioner of Police situated on the seventh floor. The complex likewise houses different meeting offices, press preparation rooms, library and the best in class brought together Control room. The task is at the delicate stage and the development work of a similar will begin in the blink of an eye.
BPSC Admit Card 2019 for CCE, CDPO, AO & Other Exams is available here. The Bihar Public Service Commission Hall Ticket direct download link is given on our page when released by the officials @www.bpsc.nic.in Admit Card page. However, applicants of BPSC Recruitment 2019-20 can find the Exam Admit Card, Interview call letters direct links on our page. To make it easy for the candidates we have given the links by BPSC Exam wise. Hence, find the respective link below to download BPSC Admit Card. For more details, aspirants can check the official website i.e., www.bpsc.bih.nic.in Admit Card 2019.
BPSC Admit Card 2019
The BPSC Admit Card contains important information like the examination date, timings, venue details which help contenders to reach the exam hall on time. However, we have updated all recently released BPSC Hall Ticket 2019 direct links below. The admit card can be downloaded only by those applicants who had applied for the post. The Applicants need to have his/her BPSC Online Login details to download the BPSC Admit Card. Hence, go through the article below and download the BPSC Admit Card, Interview Call Letter.
www.bpsc.nic.in Admit Card – Exam Hall Ticket 2019
BPSC Admit Card 2019 for Civil Judge Mains Exam will be in the month of November 2019. Hence, Candidates who are going to take down the examination must download the hall ticket. The officials will issue the admit card on their official portal. So, Contenders who have qualified the Civil Judge Prelims Examination only eligible to take down the Mains Examination. The BPSC Civil Judge Mains Hall Ticket will be available in the month of November 2019. Therefore, the direct link to download the admit card will be provided in the below table after the release from the officials.
BPSC Civil Judge Mains Admit Card 2019 – Click Here
Bihar Public Service Commission Civil Judge Interview Schedule 2019. The interview schedule has been released on 16th October 2019. Hence, Aspirants must download the interview schedule from the below section. Therefore, Contenders who have completed the examinations with eligible scoring are only able to participate in the interview. So, make sure with the schedule and appear for the interview at the reporting time.
BPSC Civil Judge Interview Schedule 2019 – Download Here
Bihar Public Service Commission Admit Card will be released soon. Eligible candidates who are attending the 64th Combined Preliminary Examination can download the admit card here. Candidates can Just click on the link to download the BPSC Admit Card 2019. Click on the link to enter the login details and download your BPSC 64th Combined Prelims Exam Admit Card 2019. However, share the link with your friends and family who are in search of the BPSC Admit Card for 64th CCE Prelims Examination 2019.
NHM UP Admit Card 2019 Released in November 2019. The National Health Mission Uttar Pradesh is planning to conduct the examination for STS and Other posts in the month of November 2019. Hence, Candidates who are going to take down the exam must download the admit card from the below section. Therefore, the exam will be held at various centers and the exam center will be printed on the NHM UP Admit Card.
UP NHM Hall Ticket 2019 – Check UP NHM Admit Card for Lab Technician, Staff Nurse & OT Lab Technician Posts Here. Uttar Pradesh National Health Mission has released the admit card for the above-mentioned posts. The Board has released the admit card on 07th August 2019. Moreover, Candidates can get the direct link to download the hall ticket. Here Aspirants can check out the Application status by providing the login details.
UP NHM Technician & Staff Nurse Admit Card 2019 – Download Here
UP NHM Staff Nurse Application Status – Check Here
UP NRHM Vacancies 2019
Uttar Pradesh National Health Mission announced the 1425 UP NHM Vacancies 2019. The UP NHM Recruitment 2019 for Notification for Block Account Manager, AYUSH – MO, Yoga Specialist and Other is given on their official portal. The Aspirants who applied can now download the NHM Hall Ticket for the Exam going to conduct in the month of November 2019. Hence, the Aspirants can download the UP NHM Admit Card from the link given above.
Uttar Pradesh NHM Admit Card 2019 – Overview
The Applicants who downloaded the UP NHM Admit Card 2019 are advised to check the details on the admit card. However, we are listing out the important NHM Admit Card details below. Also, don’t forget to carry the UP NRHM Admit Card to the exam centre. The Applicants with our UP NHM Admit Card are not allowed to attend the Examination. Hence, check the details below.
Name of the Applicant.
Exam Date, Time & Centre.
Post Applied for.
Application or Reg Num.
Father Name and
Important Instructions.
Steps to download UP NRHM Call Letter 2019
Click on the Admit Card link below.
We Redirect you to Official UP NRHM Hall ticket page.
Later, enter the login details and press Submit.
The Uttar Pradesh National Health Mission Admit Card is now ready to download.
Take a hard copy and save the PDF for further references.
Supreme Court Admit Card 2019 Available in the month of November for Senior Personal Assistant – The Court will issue the admit card for the above-said post on its official website. Hence, the hall ticket will be available at the bottom of the section. Candidates who are eligible to take down the examination can download the Supreme Court Hall Ticket before the exam date. Thus, Contenders are suggested to get the admit card from the below-provided link.
Supreme Court Admit Card 2019
Candidates who have successfully registered the application during the recruitment process can download the admit card from the below section. Mostly, Aspirants will struggle to download the admit card by searching for more websites. But We Recruitment. Guru has provided you the direct link to get the hall ticket by providing the direct link given at the end of the webpage.
Details to be noticed in Supreme Court Exam Admit Card 2019
Download the Supreme Court Admit Card by entering the required credentials which are mentioned below. Make sure to get the Hall Ticket to take down the examination. Moreover, Aspirants can download the Supreme Court Admit Card by following the steps stated in the upcoming webpage.
Candidates Name
Name of the Candidate's Father
The venue of the Exam Centre
Date & Time of the Test
Reporting Time to the Exam Hall
Gender (Male/ Female)
Roll Number
Duration of the Online Test
Space for Invigilator's Signature
Registration Number
Name of the Test Centre
Category of the candidates
Space for Applicant's Signature
Name of the Exam Conducting Board
Photograph of the Candidate
Applicant's Date of Birth
Name of the Written Test
Important Guidelines for the Exam Takers
Full Name of the Applicant
Examination Centre Code
Signature of the Board Counselor
Supreme High Court Exam 2019
The Supreme High Court Exam Date has been declared as 01st December 2019 on its official portal. Get the selection process details and the eligibility details from the Supreme High Court Recruitment. The Court will reveal the hall ticket at the scheduled date. Examiners are suggested to follow the general instructions printed on the Supreme High Court Admit Card. Make sure to download the hall ticket before the exam date. Get the Supreme High Court Syllabus from the official portal.
Supreme High Court Selection Process:
Written Test.
Shorthand Test.
Typing Test on Computer.
Interview.
Documents Along with Supreme High Court Admit Card 2019
Carry any one of the original identity proof along with the Supreme High Court Hall Ticket to participate in the exam. Moreover, Aspirants are suggested to download the admit card within the last date after its release by the officials. Therefore, the Court advised the candidates to keep the Supreme Court Admit Card safe until the selection process gets completed.
Original Photograph
Voter Card
Pan Card
Employee ID
College ID
PAN Card
Passport
Driving License
Any other ID proof issued by a Gazetted Officer
Bank Pass Book with the photograph
How to Download Supreme High Court Hall Ticket 2019?
Click on the Supreme HC Personal Assistant Admit Card.
Enter the Login details on the Home Page.
Now enter the image in the box that is available on the page.
Tap on Login to get the Supreme HC Exam Hall Ticket.
Admit Card page will appear on the screen.
Fill the needed credentials into the hall ticket.
After filling recheck the details that you have entered.
Once done with the checking Submit the admit card.
Finally, download the hall ticket after the submission.
Take a photocopy of the Supreme High Court Admit Card.
Carry for the exam and for the upcoming selection rounds.
HSSC Recruitment 2019 –Apply Online for 28 Group B & C Vacancies. Haryana Staff Selection Commission planned for Combined Graduate Level Examination. This HSSC Notification is to fill up vacancies of Assistant, Tax Assistant, Upper Divisional Clerk, Assistant Section Officer, Superident, Inspector, Sub-Inspector, Assistant Enforcement Officer, Junior Statistical Officer, & Auditor Post. Interested and eligible can register for the Haryana Staff Selection Commission Jobs 2019 through Online Mode. Haryana HSSC Recruitment 2019 Apply Online Link will be open from 22nd October 2019.
Aspirants who are going to complete appearing in the final year of their graduation can also apply. Candidates must possess Essential qualification on or before 01-01-2020. HSSC Recruitment Login for Combined Graduate Level Examination will close on 25th November 2019. The applicant should pay the Applicant fee before the last day 27th November 2019. Get more details regarding HSSC Recruitment in this article.
Overview of HSSC Combined Graduate Level Examination 2019 Notification
Organization Name
Haryana Staff Selection Commission (HSSC)
Name of the Exam
Combined Graduate Level Examination
Name of the Post
Assistant, Tax Assistant, Upper Divisional Clerk & Other
HSSC Recruitment 2019 –Apply Online for 160 Instructor Vacancies. Haryana Government is looking for the eligibles to recruit them for the Carpenter Instructor, Fitter Instructor & Foundry Man Instructor Post. Interested and eligible can register for the Haryana Staff Selection Commission Jobs 2019 through Online Mode. Application for the Instructor HSSC Vacancy is available at www.hssc.gov.in from 16th November 2019. Submit the Applications before the last date. Candidates satisfying the below stated eligibility conditions can register for the HSSC Jobs.
Aspirants start to apply for the Vacancies without waiting for the last date of submission of the online application form. Applications from other modes are not acceptable. HSSC Recruitment Apply Online for Instructor Vacancy will disable after 23rd November 2019. The applicant should pay the Applicant fee before the last day. There are 160 vacancies available for Instructor posts. Read the below section and know the eligibility details, pay scale & How to Apply Steps regarding HSSC Jobs.
Eligibility Criteria for Haryana SSC Jobs 2019 – Instructor Vacancy
HSSC Educational Qualification:
Carpenter Instructor
National Trade Certificate/ National Apprenticeship Certificate in Carpenter with Crafts Instructor Training Course (CITC) in relevant trade with 5 years practical/ teaching experience including training period.
In case the CITC course in relevant trade is not available/ introduced in any NCVT affiliated Institute then the candidate must possess National Trade Certificate/ National Apprenticeship Certificate in Carpenter passed with minimum 70% marks and NCVT approved POT Course, with 8 years practical/ teaching experience including training period.
Hindi/Sanskrit up to Matric Standard or higher education.
Fitter Instructor
AICTE recognized Bachelor degree in Engineering / Technology or it’s equivalent in Mechanical/ Production/ Industrial/ Fabrication Engineering from AICTE recognized institution/ university or Institutions established by Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), Government of India, on full-time regular mode basis, with one year practical/ teaching experience. or
Diploma in Engineering or it,s equivalent in Mechanical/ Production/ Industrial/ Fabrication from State Board of Technical Education of any State Government with two years practical/ teaching experience.
Hindi/ Sanskrit up to Matric Standard or higher education.
Foundry Man Instructor
AICTE recognized Bachelor’s degree in Engineering / Technology or it’s equivalent in Metallurgical/Mechanical from AICTE recognized institution/ university or Institutions established by Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), Government of India, on full-time regular mode basis, with one year practical/ teaching experience. or
Diploma in Engineering or its equivalent in Metallurgical/Mechanical from State Board of Technical Education of any State Government with two years of practical/ teaching experience.
Hindi/ Sanskrit up to Matric Standard or higher education
HSSC Age Criteria Limit:
Minimum Age Limit – 17 Years
Maximum Age Limit – 42 Years
Application Fee:
Refer to the HSSC Recruitment Official Notification for Application Fee details.
Salary Details:
Rs. 35,400 – Rs. 1,12,400/-
Selection Process:
Written Examination.
Interview.
How to Apply ONLINE for HSSC Recruitment 2019?
Click on the HSSC Recruitment Apply Online link given below.
Select the desired post you want to apply.
Read the given details completely and register yourself.
Fill the required details asked in the application form.
Recheck the details filled in the form and proceed to the next step.
Upload scanned copies of photograph and signature.
Enclose the copies of relevant documents regarding education and experience.
Finish the Online Payment process for the HSSC Recruitment.
Submit the Application Form.
Take a printout for future reference.
Important Dates for HSSC Instructor Vacancy 2019
Starting Date to Submit Application
16th November 2019
Last Date to Submit Application
23rd November 2019
Last Date for Fee Payment
26th November 2019
Important Links for HSSC Recruitment Notification 2019
Haryana Staff Selection Commission (prior Subordinate Services Selection Board) is comprised according to the stipulation of Article 309 of the constitution of India, vide Haryana Government Notification No.523-3GS-70/2068, dated 28.01.1970. Through it was conceded statutory status of Haryana Staff Selection Commission vide Haryana Govt. Journal Notification dated 28.02.2005. The Commission conducts assessments/interviews for arrangements to Group 'C' benefits and might be called up on to lead assessment/meet for an arrangement to Group 'B' and 'D' administrations whenever required by the State Government. The Commission gadgets the method of determination and fixed criteria for choice to posts as though may esteem suitable divisions send demands to the Commission which are appropriately publicized.
In uncertain times, sharing rather than owning makes for a compelling proposition. Why buy a house or a car, or furniture or home appliances, or even classy clothes when you can rent them?The idea also fits into a millennial's way of life — spend more on experiences, like travel, rather than be tied down with mounting debt one has to repay.Rajat Arora, 23, who is relocating from the US to the India office of his financial services company, plans to go lite — much like his new office at a coworking facility in Pune. "I don't want to buy anything, but rent it — furniture, apartment, car and even an umbrella when it rains." The reason for renting stuff is that he is not sure how long he will be with the current employer. He is also not too optimistic about the overall job market.Even small companies, it appears, are not ready to sink in money, given that even startups are into sharing through business-to-business arrangements.NestAway, a residence rental company, frequently partners with other startups such as furniture rental ventures Furlenco and City Furnish to equip apartments for sharing with sofas, beds, almirahs, appliances and so on.This win-win situation, where there is ready and growing demand, has attracted a host of companies whose business model is to rent rather than sell. And this business is exploding amid an economic gloom. Consultancy EY sees the size of the Indian sharing economy to becoming nearly $20 billion in five years.Sharing Scales Up Stage3, a fashionwear rentier funded by Blume Ventures, claims to have seen a six-fold increase in user base between October 2018 and 2019. The startup lets you rent clothes or wedding outfits by designers such as Sabyasachi Mukherjee, Rina Dhaka, Anju Modi or Manish Malhotra at one-tenth of the MRP. NestAway too says it has 75,000 tenants in 35,000 homes. The startup has so far raised $125 million from multiple investors, including Flipkart, Tiger Global, Ratan Tata and Goldman Sachs."This generation is consuming more and owning less," says Karan Jain, cofounder of Revv, a car rental platform.While Uber and Ola cater to point-to-point commute, startups like Revv see an opportunity in a longer engagement. There are around 4,000 cars on its platform and these are rented out — for hours, days, weeks, months or even years. 72089434 "There are people who want new car models every two years without the hassle of paperwork or owning an asset. We help them," says Anupam Agarwal, the other Revv cofounder.Neetish Sarda, founder of SmartWorks, says 25-30% of the office space in India is under the coworking model or is shared.He sees office space under coworking scale from 20 million square feet as of today to 100 million square feet in the next five years. About five years back, co-working space was just under 10 million sq feet in India."Drivers for growth of coworking include low costs, plug-and-play environment and hassle-free operations," says Sarda.Nothing Permanent In some ways, sharing is not new — paying guest accommodations or PGs have been around for much longer. Yet PGs could never scale beyond local areas, usually around campuses.What changed the sharing business were mobile apps that made assets more accessible and some clever innovation to solve real problems.The trend started with cabs and has expanded to renting different kinds of assets, including home appliances, bikes and dresses. And now the businesses are scaling. Of course, the gig economy is also contributing its bit to the expansion of the sharing economy."There are no permanent jobs. Why should I lock myself into permanent assets, which will be expensive to maintain, and I won't probably use them for their entire lifecycle?" asks Pankaj Jain, 24, who left his job at an online marketplace to do a course in finance. "There are options to meet any asset need and I don't want to be in a situation like my parents who spent years paying off loans and had to sacrifice holidays."Global companies are seeing the market expand in India- with millennials driving the trend. For instance, Airbnb offers 54,000 properties across 100 cities in India. By offering unused space for sharing, the platform says home owners collected $28 million and welcomed 800,000 guests in 2018."We are just scratching the surface," says Amanpreet Bajaj, country manager, Airbnb India. 72089334 Airbnb reckons 240 million out of India's nearly 450 million millennials are in urban areas, and this forms an untapped potential base, which is far bigger than any other region or country.Pradeep Parameswaran, president, Uber India & South Asia, says, "We think we can replace your car with your phone- an app that unbundles the personal car by addressing everything you use it for." One such service in its portfolio is UberPool, which the company says has seen double-digit growth since its launch in 2017 in India."Sharing addresses the affordability issue,¡¨ says a venture investor, who wished not to be named.Anurag Mathur, leader-retail & consumer goods at PwC India, adds: "Sharing used to be around campuses. Startups are making it more organised as they see rising demand for shared assets among the 20-to-30-year-olds."A typical sharer is someone seeking affordability and flexibility and sees his or her career punctuated with short breaks- to study or to travel. 72089408 72089416 Piece by Piece At Stage3, the average ticket size per rented dress is Rs. 1,500 to Rs. 2,000, though the rent for a designer wedding outfit could be as high as `30,000 for three days. The startup delivers to 15 cities though 80% of its current business comes from Delhi NCR. 72089461 At NestAway, 80% of the business is full home rental and 20% is sharing. But it is the second part that is growing faster. "Increasingly, users are opting for renting a room rather than the whole apartment," says Ismail Khan, the chief business officer. This also works better for the owner and the tenant- the former gets more rent for the whole property while the latter pays rent for just the space occupied.NestAway is in 10 cities and expanding to 35 by next year. By March, it expects to have 100,000 tenants. Also, nearly 30% of its current user base are women."Shared economy will grow. For instance, it doesn't make sense to buy houses as rental yields in India are very low (2-4%)," says serial entrepreneur K Ganesh. He sees bright days for startups such as Rapido, Rentomojo and Bounce.Furlenco, a Bengaluru-based rental furniture provider, started with 10 products and now offers appliances and kid's furniture as well. 72089467 The company says its current net subscription revenue is $25 million, which it expects to touch $300 million by 2023. Furlenco has so far served more than 90,000 subscribers or users in Delhi, Noida, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune and several other cities. "Our long-term goal is to make furniture subscription as much a norm as DTH or OTT subscription is, and we are making rapid strides towards this," says founder and CEO Ajith Mohan Karimpana.Feeding One Another Sharing economy startups are also feeding into each other's needs. For instance, an owner often gives his bare house or flat for rent and young tenants are unwilling to buy furniture or appliances, which they will have to carry along if they change addresses. To help both parties and make the sharing experience smooth, NestAway has partnered with Furlenco, City Furnish and other furniture and appliance providers to bridge the gap. 72089473 "Each player is working to its strength while sticking to the core problem that they can solve," says Mathur of PwC.Such arrangements are common across businesses. At Revv, the owned car inventory is around one-third of the total, while the rest comes from leasing companies and channel partners.SmartWorks also leases some of the properties, where it sets up co-working spaces. As the market matures, it could lead to new models, like "sharing as a service," says the venture firm head quoted earlier.What Stage3, Revv, NestAway and others will focus on is improving user experience while scaling their services to new cities. As the market grows, there will be newer offerings as well. 72089486 For instance, Sabena Puri, cofounder of Stage3, points out that in the United States, users frequently rent out a week's office wear from Rent The Runway, returning it over the weekend to pick up following week's office wear.Even items such as umbrellas and sports goods are available for sharing. The tenure of sharing can be three days for designer wear, a season for umbrellas, up to 24 months for cars and so on.But some old challenges persist. "When tenants engage with us, the expectation is that it should be like a hotel service," says Khan of Nest-Away. Besides, in several cities, landlords have to provide air conditioners, which they frown upon."A malfunctioning microwave or a car where I have to get under the bonnet won't do," says Pankaj Jain.For designer wear, to ensure repeat use, dresses have to be custom-fitted. Maintenance and repairs of appliances has to be managed by the service providers. 72089492 Often, if users want to put their own cars up for rent, they cannot do that due to regulations.And most of all, costs have to be kept low to keep sharing an attractive option for millennials. Unit economics have to work in favour of providers to give them more room to innovate and offer more products for sharing.
Of the recent crop of Supreme Court verdicts, the one that got the least media attention, striking down the merger and reconfiguration of assorted tribunals, was the most consequential for India's democracy. The Ayodhya verdict got the most attention, naturally.While the Supreme Court managed to salvage a judicial verdict, albeit based on a "preponderance of probabilities" construed as evidence, from a morass of controversy hinged on faith and communal mobilisation, it did not alter India's polity significantly. The damage done to the confidence of the minorities in India's secular integrity, by what the verdict described as a crime, the forcible destruction of the Babri mosque, was irreversible. The verdict, whichever way it went, could not have altered it and has not.The verdict in the Rafale review petition, another cause celebre, went along predictable lines. The petition before the court jumped the gun, in the sense that the first step of the legitimate process of holding the government to account, of subjecting a major item of expenditure to assessment by the Comptroller and Auditor General and then vetting its report by the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament was not yet complete. The court essentially said that it was not competent to go into defence procurement decisions. Yes, the concurring but separate judgment by Justice Joseph does leave the door open for a CBI inquiry. But for the SC to have concluded anything other than what it did would have been to interfere with the efficient working of government.The verdict on bringing the office of the Chief Justice under the ambit of the Right to Information (RTI) is welcome, as an assertion of the principle that no arm of the state is above public scrutiny. But its operative significance is limited. Any skeleton skulking in the office of the Chief Justice of India is unlikely to jump out into the open at the sound of an RTI query.The Sabarimala verdict has passed the drama on to a larger bench yet to be constituted. However, to the extent that it did not call for cessation of worship by women, it does set the stage for campaigns for social reform centred on the implicit assumptions, often discriminatory, of devotional practices.The verdict in the sharing of adjusted gross revenue (AGR) of telecom companies (telcos) has a bearing on both the viability of telecom operations and the scope and scale of arbitrary government greed for the proceeds of business. It was open to the court to limit sharing of telco revenue, towards licence fees and spectrum usage charges, to the kinds of revenue generated by virtue of possessing a telecom licence. The idea that items of revenue that any business can generate, such as treasury management proceeds and real estate revenue, should be shareable revenue is arbitrary. Yes, telcos were silly enough to accept such a licence condition, lulled, perhaps, by the promise, at the time of migrating from a fixed licence fee regime to a revenue share model, to consult sector regulator TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) on what constitutes shareable revenue.The sound opinion of TRAI and TDSAT (Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal) on the subject were ignored by the government. Only a government decision to forgo unjustified claims would salvage the situation now.The verdict removing the obstacle in the path of resolving Essar Steel is a positive step. Delinquent promoters will lose their companies and banks cannot be bogged down in legal quagmire, now that clear case law is being established in resolving large corporate insolvencies.However, the verdict that has had the most impact on the polity is the one that annulled the government's move to tag provisions reconfiguring assorted sectoral tribunals to the Finance Bill of 2017 and get them through Parliament without the approval of the Rajya Sabha. This verdict has preserved the bicameral structure of India's Parliament. Suppose the ruling had gone the other way. If any kind of law on any kind of subject can be deemed a money bill, by virtue of it entailing some expenditure from the exchequer and by virtue of the Speaker's readiness to recognise it as a money bill, the Rajya Sabha would be rendered irrelevant.A money bill does not have to be cleared by the Upper House to become law. If all that was required to make any bill a money bill was to have a Lok Sabha Speaker with a selfwilled ocular malfunction that sees every bill as a money bill, no substantial bill would be referred to the Rajya Sabha. Everything would be settled in the Lok Sabha itself.The Supreme Court has averted this travesty by refusing to accept the money bill as a beast that can carry a hefty non-money burden. Does this render the Aadhaar law, passed as a money bill, unlawful? It does not. The Supreme Court had earlier cleared the Aadhaar bill, restricting Aadhaar's use to transferring government funds to beneficiaries. The government subsequently amended the Aadhaar law to widen its use, but got both Houses of Parliament to endorse the amendment.
In what can only be called a requiem to the suit, journalist Richard Godwin laments the death of smart dressing in an article in The Guardian, "The new workwear: has the Suit Finally Died?" Now a freelancer, Godwin admits he was once a proud wearer of suits and hoarder of ties. But that has stopped, now that he works out of a coworking space "amid nut-butter influencers and CBD startups and 20-something digital marketing types".There is a loosening up of ties when it comes to formal dress code at the workplace. Earlier this year Goldman Sachs — known for spawning an army of spiffily dressed execs — announced a move to a flexible dress code to reflect the changing nature of workplaces. Enter: blazers, sports coats or jackets that help you look proper without being "propah".Prem Dewan, retail head of OSL Luxury Collections that brought Italian luxury menswear brand Corneliani to India, says, "Most millennials have stopped wearing suits and are into comfortable yet well-coordinated ensembles. Blazers are now worn with denims in light and breathable fabrics with sharper fits. For a formal occasion, people wear blazers with a pocket square and a tie."A blazer or sports jacket has become to men what the little black dress is for women — a wardrobe staple. And the fashion industry is listening.Menswear designer Kunal Anil Tanna says the blazers have transformed over the years. "What began as a less formal substitute to the suit is a style quotient and wardrobe necessity today." 72088299 When it comes to corporate dress code, there has been a shift from suits to blazers, says Harssh Chheda, founder & CEO, Corporate Collars, a high-end, bespoke tailoring brand. "A good blazer is always an investment and nothing beats a tailored one. If you are investing in one for the first time, stick to a basic style and colours like blue, black, grey or tan. This helps in making it a utilitarian piece, one that can be layered with crisp shirts during the day or soft-jersey T-shirts in the evening."Smart casuals as a trend has picked up in the last few years. But before you decide on your blazer, understand the functionality of it."The evolution of workplace menswear style is quite interesting," says Sandeep Gonsalves, director and cofounder of menswear designer brand SS Homme — Sarah & Sandeep. "The younger generation is more fashionable and on-point with the trends and a blazer comes with an advantage of stylistic versatility. Experimentation is the name of the game at the moment and a contemporary man is not afraid to experiment."For a good jacket, pay attention to the fit, construction quality and materials. Blazers and its less formal variant, sports coat, are made using various design elements like layered panels, collar styles, mock layers, bomber style, shackets (shirts meet jackets), trench-inspired and more. Even fabric picks are varied like corduroy, denim, linen, cotton, jacquard, velvet, wool and silk — in textures and patterns. Brands are also experimenting with fabric compositions. Metal buttons are in vogue.Gonsalves, however, is not ready to write the suit's obituary just yet. "A full suit still holds its importance in the workplace and you can never be too formally dressed for a business meeting."However, what sets blazers apart are that these are extremely versatile garments and can be suitable for any occasion. Gonsalves says a bespoke one gives you the liberty to showcase your personal style and select fabric quality, colour, cuts and garment details.The modern blazer is more dramatic than classic and definitely more fun, says stylist Harsh Khullar. "A basic blue-andblack blazer is a good investment as it can be styled with almost anything for any occasion."Invest in a velvet dinner jacket if your lifestyle calls for attending high-powered soirees. Cashmere blazers in tan, black and red give a rich and luxurious feel. You need to put away at least Rs 21,000 for a custom-tailored jacket, while a luxury variant starts at Rs 70,000.The classic double-breasted blazer has evolved considerably over the last century, says designer Raghavendra Rathore, known for his sharply tailored menswear. "Compact, more snug-fitted and, most importantly, redirected as a single-breasted cut is now the new look."Dewan of Corneliani puts his money on the double-breasted jacket. "The new slim cut that sits close to the body without being overly restrictive on movement is the way to go. The mid-weight material makes it wearable all year round."For the fall, it is a good idea to pick a check sports coat with either a notched or peak lapel.In his article, Godwin talks about how he finally took his suit out for a university reunion as the dress code demanded it."Everyone remarked on how they never wore suits and ties these days. Everyone spent the evening complimenting one another. And everyone, I sensed, enjoyed looking their unashamed best. What if you never had the chance to look your best again? What kind of future would that be?"Maybe it will be the blazer to the rescue, after all.
NEW DELHI: The government is looking to wrap up the sale of state-run airline Air India and oil refiner and marketer Bharat Petroleum Corporation (BPCL) by March, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Saturday."We are moving on both with the expectation that we can complete them this year. The ground realities will play out," she told TOI in an exclusive interview , while referring to the strategic sale of the two state-run companies, a crucial part of the government's plan to raise over Rs 1 lakh crore in the current fiscal year.Sitharaman said there is a "lot of interest" among investors as evident in international road shows ahead of the sale of Air India. A year ago, the loss-making airline's sale had to be aborted due to tepid response from investors. The government is banking on receipts from disinvestment – comprising strategic sale and public offers – to shore up revenues in a year when tax collections are under pressure.The minister also said the government took measures to reverse the economic slowdown at the right time and several sectors are coming out of distress. The finance minister also said industry captains had helped improve their balance sheet and many of them were planning fresh investments.The FM, however, said she expected GST collections to revive on the back of an improvement in sales in some segments as also due to recent efforts to plug leakages. Sitharaman also said the Supreme Court judgement on Essar Steel had established constitutionality and legal strength of the IBC law and would have a huge impact on the balance sheets of banks in the next quarter.She said there were signs of a revival in consumer sentiment, which was manifested in demand of nearly Rs 1.8 lakh crore in loans from banks at the outreach programme during the festival season."If consumer confidence is not on way to being restored, why would you think that such an amount would have gone out as loans during the two outreach programmes started by banks? And, it it is all over the country," said Sitharaman.
NEW DELHI: The government is looking to wrap up the sale of state-run airline Air India and oil refiner and marketer Bharat Petroleum Corporation (BPCL) by March, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Saturday."We are moving on both with the expectation that we can complete them this year. The ground realities will play out," she told TOI in an exclusive interview , while referring to the strategic sale of the two state-run companies, a crucial part of the government's plan to raise over Rs 1 lakh crore in the current fiscal year.Sitharaman said there is a "lot of interest" among investors as evident in international road shows ahead of the sale of Air India. A year ago, the loss-making airline's sale had to be aborted due to tepid response from investors. The government is banking on receipts from disinvestment – comprising strategic sale and public offers – to shore up revenues in a year when tax collections are under pressure.The minister also said the government took measures to reverse the economic slowdown at the right time and several sectors are coming out of distress. The finance minister also said industry captains had helped improve their balance sheet and many of them were planning fresh investments.The FM, however, said she expected GST collections to revive on the back of an improvement in sales in some segments as also due to recent efforts to plug leakages. Sitharaman also said the Supreme Court judgement on Essar Steel had established constitutionality and legal strength of the IBC law and would have a huge impact on the balance sheets of banks in the next quarter.She said there were signs of a revival in consumer sentiment, which was manifested in demand of nearly Rs 1.8 lakh crore in loans from banks at the outreach programme during the festival season."If consumer confidence is not on way to being restored, why would you think that such an amount would have gone out as loans during the two outreach programmes started by banks? And, it it is all over the country," said Sitharaman.
In the 1990s, Ajay Bijli, chairman of PVR Ltd, kicked off India's multiplex revolution with PVR Anupam in Delhi. Many setbacks and three big acquisitions later, PVR Cinemas is now India's largest movie exhibitor, selling 112 million tickets annually. In an interview with Malini Goyal, Bijli talks about his journey, the world of cinema and the OTT threat. Edited excerpts:What is movie business telling us about the economic slowdown?It is true that in recessionary times, people save on shopping and travel but spend on movies. We see that happening. With Rs 200 as average ticket price (ATP), we offer three hours of escapism that is still affordable. But it is also because of good content — Indian content makers have got their act together. GST reduction (from 28% to 18% for tickets above Rs 100) has helped too. Footfalls are up while GST collection hasn't dipped — that's good news for everyone.Recently, we interacted with the prime minister who underscored the power of cinema and Bollywood as a great marketing tool. He asked us what more can be done (to promote Bollywood). He is very committed.Do you see OTTs as a big threat?I think OTTs are more about long-form storytelling than movies. And they do a great job. In a populous country like India, there will always be enough people who would like to get out of home to socialise and unwind by watching movies. We know that the same people who watch OTTs on weekdays watch movies over the weekend. Of the 115 million moviegoers we get, around 70% are 12-34-year-olds. The 60-day viewing exclusivity in theatres is a big draw. Theatrical release still brings in over 60% of the money a movie makes. Theatrical release is also an important marketing tool. It helps create buzz and sets the tone for a movie's future viewings in other formats like OTTs. Movie business has seen some major disruptions every decade — TV, VHS, DVD and now OTT — and has had to reinvent. What I still need to do is build a fabulous infrastructure and offer a great experience.72087613 Being among the world's top 10 exhibitors, how do you benchmark yourself?They all operate in different markets and contexts. But there are parts I admire. For example, Cineplex in Canada has a 75% market share and robust F&B earnings, higher than movie tickets. (65% of PVR's revenues come from movie tickets). Thailand's Major Cineplex Group excels in digitisation, with all tickets sold digitally. I admire AMC's loyalty programme in the US. Loyalty programme is about offering your loyal customers things that money can't buy — like upgrades, recognitions and special screenings. I also learn a lot from airlines and hospitality industry.What have you learnt about slotting movies and their box-office success?It is like a closed parachute — you only get to know on Friday if it works. Empirical track record helps. We have a programming and scheduling department with a 25-member staff to gauge the pulse of the audience and take decisions. Bollywood still contributes 90% of the revenue.In the last two years, we have had many sleeper hits like Andhadhun and Badhaai Ho. Content is the big hero and small-budget films have connected well with the audience, which is evolving and maturing. A big hero is no longer a guarantee for a film's success. And he must look the part, constantly reinventing himself. There is a preference for shorter movies — the era of mega, three-hour movies is over. Like in Gully Boy, songs are becoming very contextual.How have you evolved as an entrepreneur? How has India's entrepreneurial landscape changed amid all-round disruption?As an entrepreneur, I have learnt to see the glass as half-full. I have become more rational. I have become more patient and don't panic easily.While India has had some incredible entrepreneurs, I see some generational shift. The newer entrepreneurs with humble beginnings who raise capital from outside seem to have better corporate governance. They are also very scale-driven. Talking of all-round disruption, let's wait before deciding who is disrupting whom. Globally, we see many disrupters getting disrupted. You have to be careful. Give them all the respect but instead of panicking that Netflix will disrupt your business, focus on making your business more relevant. Be neither complacent nor over-confident. We have a lot of headroom for growth hereSince you have been at this since the 1990s, do you experience entrepreneur fatigue?No journey is without peaks and troughs. There are times you feel low, there is too much struggle. Confronting those challenges and tackling them keep you motivated.Our partner Village deciding to leave in 2003 was a setback. In 2007-08, competition intensified with Big Cinemas and INOX coming ahead of us. From having the first mover advantage, we got left behind. What you are today is more important than what you were in the past. I believe in the power of focus. Do one thing, but excel in it. That's what Starbucks, Sachin Tendulkar and Disney do. The acquisition of Cinemax in 2013 was an inflection point, propelling us to the top. We have acquired DLF's DT Cinemas and more recently SPI Cinemas. For real estate developers like DLF, cinema was a non-core activity.And our business is a scale game, with margins improving with every 100 new screens. Thanks to some sane advice from people like Sunil Mittal and Analjit Singh, I have been careful with capital structure and have not taken too much debt.What's your day like? Do you find time for personal pursuits?Spending time with my three kids — 21, 25 and 27 years old — is my top priority. My day starts at 5 am. I have been taking lessons in Indian classical music and do a 30-minute riyaaz in the morning. My workout time is 6.30-8 am, before I head to office. Breakfast with mom is a ritual. I leave office at 5 pm. At work, I focus on design, architecture, new signings and deals with developers.Fact File: Ajay Bijli, 52 CMD, PVR Ltd— Started India's first multiplex, PVR Anupam in Delhi in 1997. Today, PVR is India's largest multiplex chain with 15,000 staff, 821 screens at 172 properties in 70 cities. This month PVR Lanka marked its first overseas foray— REACH: 115 million tickets sold annually— HIS FAVOURITE MOVIES: Shawshank Redemption, Schindler's List, Taare Zameen Par, Rang De Basanti, Uri— HIS FITNESS MANTRA: Workout consistency and calorie intake are critical
As interest rate goes down further, the discounting factor kicks in. That and the higher growth expectations for next year will lead to PE expansion which in turn will help the markets to continue to go up, says Ajay Bagga, Market Expert. Excerpts from an interview with ETNOW. What is the sense that you get in terms of the market set ups that happening and the kind of stocks that are moving and do you believe that investors are looking for value in companies which had pain points earlier?Yes, we are definitely seeing interest coming back in midcaps and smallcaps. Performance wise, it is still the top end which is outperforming. Banks are leading this part of the rally and we expect that to continue. We saw substantial treasury gains for most of the banks. The NPAs are getting more or less plateaued out. There are some surprises still coming by, but the Essar resolution is a huge positive for most banks that had a big exposure except for a couple of foreign banks which had not participated. Overall, macro is weak but micro is picking up in company specific manner and we are seeing the market front ending the eventual turn of the macro. Whether that happens in December or March or later is anybody's guess, but we are fairly close to the bottom as far as the macro goes. That seems to be what the market is surmising. FII flows are also strong. There is liquidity in the domestic market which RBI has pumped in and that is helping the overall scenario. It is a matter of time before the economy catches up, but markets are front ending. What do you make of the overall earning season? One can say that tax cuts did impact the earning season in a big way in terms of EPS numbers, but what about the earning season?This time, we had to do a lot of adjustments because a few companies were moving to the new tax regime, a few were not and the deferred tax asset treatments have really clouded the picture. You have to look at the adjusted books and then take off the one-time huge losses, like in telecom, which is a one-time catch up for 18 years of conflict with the government. On balance, it was a pretty good season. It was on par with expectations and the expectations for next year are quite enhanced and that is helping the markets. Markets are driven by earnings and the multiples you are willing to give to those earnings determines the price. We are seeing earnings pick up in the market after four-five years of flat lining. Also, we are expecting some kind of a multiple expansion. As the interest rate goes down further, the discounting factor kicks in. That and the higher growth expectations for next year will together lead to some bit of a PE expansion for our markets. That will help the markets to continue to go up. What do you make of the PSU banking space? With some of the private banks again going to new highs or in an and around the new highs, is there a lot of value in largecap PSU banking names as well?Definitely, I would say the pecking order would be go for private sector corporate banks which are turning around. Those names are very clear. The second would be the top four-five PSU banks that is a brewing story and it will be handsomely rewarded. It is just starting. Still the valuations are quite compelling and the good thing is now you look at the credit. I was with the company director the other day. Even for a loan for the company, the bank sent people home, took down passport numbers, filmed the house. For a car loan, somebody came to a very senior CEOs house and took a video of the house. So, credit is getting constrained but credit is getting stronger and down the line, as the interest rate cuts start seeping into the economy and the economy kicks in, public sector banks still have a 70% market share and you will see those outperforming. I would say stick to the top end; do not try mergers and special situations. Leave that to the fund managers. If you want to do that, then buy your financial services mutual fund because the professional money can manage that. For the rest of us, I would say just buy and forget top four-five public sector banks for the next two years. You will be very pleasantly surprised. Would you be a buyer into telecom names?A lot of foreign brokerages have over the last three-four years been taking out rosy projections and said this is the bottom. We have seen that in aviation, we have seen that in telecom -- very high capex, very highly regulated businesses good for the customer, bad for the investor. I would say stay away from telecom. Voda Idea and Bharti Airtel might have done well yesterday but remember the day before, Idea was down 20%. If you had bought Idea one year back at Rs 24, today it would be sitting at Rs 3. That is the kind of value destruction that has happened in telecom. The very high capex requirements of the 5G spectrum auction is totally dependent on the regulator. Just like the sugar industry, very high politics is involved. A lot of lobbying is involved. Why do you want to invest in a sector like that? Let it come out of its pangs of slowdown. The good news is with a 5% ARPU increase, revenues shoot up to the extent of Rs 35,000 crore. So, that is the kind of leverage available with 700-800 million customers. If they are able to increase ARPU by Rs 5-6, all the problems will get sorted out. There is news that the government might create an artificial floor price. If something like that comes, then it merits a rerating. Otherwise, I would say, stay away. You have so many growth sectors in India, focus on those.
BEIJING: Social video app TikTok has reached 1.5 billion downloads worldwide on the App Store as well as Google Play and India leads the chart with 466.8 million or about 31 per cent of all unique installs.In 2019, the app accumulated 614 million downloads -- six per cent more than it had last year, reported mobile intelligence firm Sensor Tower.India has been a fast adoptor in 2019, driving up 277.6 million downloads so far this year, or roughly 45 per cent of all global installs.China generated the second largest amount of downloads with 45.5 million, or 7.4 percent, while the US is No 3 with 37.6 million installs, or about 6 per cent, this year.The figure does not include installs from third-party Android stores in the country, said Sensor Tower.TikTok with 614 million downloads currently is the third-most downloaded non-gaming app of the year, behind WhatsApp at the top with 707.4 million installs and Facebook Messenger at second spot with 636.2 million.Facebook is fourth with 587 million downloads and Instagram at fifth spot with 376.2 million.To recall, TikTok crossed the 1 billion downloads milestone in February 2019, taking just under nine months to generate a further 500 million installs.
Big relief to home buyers! RERA moots policy to complete stalled projects The authority recommended that such a policy can be formulated on the lines of Section 8 of the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016, under which it can allow completion of pending developmental work in a stalled project.
KEA Recruitment 2019 Notification – Apply Online for 124 Assistant Public Prosecutor cum Assistant Government Pleader Vacancies. Candidates who are practicing as an advocate in courts of Civil and Criminal Jurisdiction in India are invited to apply for this KEA Vacant Seats. Eligible candidates can apply online by visiting the official website @www.kea.kar.nic.in. Online Registration starts from 30th October 2019. Applicants will be shortlisted by the Prelims & Mains Examination Process.
Surat Municipal Corporation Recruitment 2019 – Apply Online for 57 Shikshan Sahayak Vacancies. Gujarat Government has announced 57 Vacancies for Assistant Teacher Posts. Interested can check with the notification details of SMC Jobs in the below sections. Surat Municipal Corporation Online Application is available from 15th November 2019 @www.suratmunicipal.gov.in. Job seekers looking for Gujarat Government Jobs can use this opportunity given by Surat Municipal Corporation Jobs
HSSC Recruitment 2019 – Apply Online for 28 Group B & C Vacancies. Haryana Staff Selection Commission planned for Combined Graduate Level Examination. This HSSC Notification is to fill up vacancies of Assistant, Tax Assistant, Upper Divisional Clerk, Assistant Section Officer, Superident, Inspector, Sub-Inspector, Assistant Enforcement Officer, Junior Statistical Officer, & Auditor Post. Interested and eligible can register for the Haryana Staff Selection Commission Jobs 2019 through Online Mode. Haryana HSSC Recruitment 2019 Apply Online Link will be open from 22nd October 2019.
