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Over the weekend, a video of unknown provenance with the caption "Look at this guy smash his own nuts by crossing his legs" went viral on Twitter — and it did so for good reason.
From an outpost in northeastern Thailand, a couple of shadowy men have for years been running the world's most elaborate poaching ring. Now can an enterprising vigilante finally bring down an untouchable smuggling syndicate?
More than 70,000 snakes slither out of dens to breed each spring at a Manitoba wildlife area. Thousands of people just can't keep away from the writhing show. Just don't call it an orgy.
Sure, toys are great — but nothing's better than something that's custom-designed. This Toybox 3D Printer Deluxe Bundle lets kids print their own toys, using either the massive toy catalogue or using the companion app to design them from scratch. Save 32% when you buy it here.
The cat/dog paradigm has reigned for far too long; whole new realms of cuteness and companionship might be in store for us, once we start reviving dodos and Great auks.
Analysis of human remains from Portus, the maritime port of Imperial Rome, has reconstructed for the first time the diets of its inhabitants, suggesting a shift in food resources following the Vandal sack of Rome in AD 455.
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This slow-mo footage of Fury masterfully evading punches, thrown at him with precision, belongs in a museum. He eventually did win the bout and retained his title.
Jarmusch is bringing his signature style and a seriously stacked cast — including Bill Murray, Chloë Sevigny and Adam Driver — to a distinctly 2019 take on a Romeo-esque zombie film. Does the combination work, or it a mash-up that won't mesh? Here's what critics think.
A previously unreleased image of a new $20 note that was produced by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and obtained by The New York Times depicts Harriet Tubman in a dark coat with a wide collar and a white scarf. This preliminary design was completed in late 2016.
Much like the unscrupulous, greedy banker goblins in the Harry Potter books, Watto reflects antisemitic tropes that are so deeply embedded in popular culture that they can appear regardless of a creator's conscious intent.
That synthetic suburb allows Amazon to test its delivery robot Scout thousands or perhaps millions of times under varying weather conditions without swarming the neighborhood with bright blue rovers until they become a nuisance.
A study finds that some shrinking cities are prosperous areas with smaller, more-educated populations. But they also have greater levels of income inequality.
Many Scandinavian countries even have open prisons — minimum security institutions that rely less on force and more on trust. Back in the US, this might seem like an unattainable ideal. But in California, nearly 80 years ago, there was an open prison.
The most powerful climate "influencers" of today are not celebrities who have achieved fame and then used their platform to deliver some wan cliché about "being nice to the planet."
Why have Google and Facebook suddenly grown so worried about online privacy? Part of the answer is a defect in the language we use to talk about privacy.
Mobile 5G internet is still a dream for most, but Apple could help make it a reality next year.
That's what TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo thinks. He said Monday in a research note that two of Apple's three iPhones released in 2020 will be 5G-compatible for the first time.
Kuo's note said Apple will release three OLED iPhones next year, backing up an earlier DigiTimes report. If you want 5G, you'll need to get the 5.4-inch or the 6.7-inch model; the 6.1-inch model will still only go up to LTE, per the research note.
In clearer terms, that means Apple will basically do what it did last year. The company will release two higher-end phones like the XS and XS Max, while a more affordable option brings up the rear like the XR. If those sizes are accurate, it means the successor to the XS will be slightly smaller and the successor to the XS Max will be slightly bigger. Read more...
Everyone hypes up MacBooks and iPads as the things to get, but practical gifts are just as important. The grad in your life will understand when they're able to make their own home-cooked meals like lasagna or chicken tacos while friends blow their bank accounts on Uber Eats.
We'll even help you pick the model: This 6-quart programmable cooker from Crock-Pot is on sale for $48.61, saving you $21.38 on the regular price of $69.99. Read more...
TL;DR: The versatile Keurig Café can make a plethora of coffee-based beverages, and you can save $50 and get one for just $149.99 on Amazon.
There’s not much that can make a Monday morning less awful then it will inevitably be — the weekend has come to an abrupt end, you’re more tired than usual, and you have to be up bright and early to get your butt to work. There’s at least one thing that you can do for some well-needed damage control, though: Make a delicious cup of coffee. But to do this, you’ll need a reliable and versatile coffee maker — a.k.a. one of the most important kitchen appliances you can own. Read more...
So you're in the market to buy a new laptop? We have some advice: Don't let big tech companies with multimillion dollar marketing campaigns fool you into thinking you have to pay upwards of £1,000 to get a quality notebook.
You can actually get a brand new one for less than half of that price. And we aren't talking about poorly made, subpar notebooks that run slower than your smartphone. We're talking about cheap laptops that are high-tech and responsive, helping you do the things that matter most, like writing, browsing the internet, storing files, and even gaming. Read more...
TL;DR: Cuisinart cast iron cookware works so well because of its ability to retain and distribute heat, and you can grab some on sale for $69.99, a savings of $60.
Kitchen gadgets are, like any technology, continuously improving and advancing. There are tons of cool appliances to add to your lineup, like Instant Pots and air fryers. But sometimes you just need something tried and true, like sturdy cast iron cookware.
After a weekend filled with more Twitter tomfoolery, Elon Musk has finally "deleted" his account on the social network.
The 47-year-old Tesla CEO made his avatar pitch black, changed his display name to "Daddy DotCom" and tweeted that he had deleted his account in the wee hours of Monday morning.
We'll have to wait and see if Musk is actually serious about getting off Twitter. The move came after a weekend filled with bizarre and somewhat controversial tweets from the tech billionaire, the most notable of which involved video game fan art, of all things. Read more...
Author Suzanne Collins will return to Panem for an untitled prequel set 64 years before The Hunger Games.
“Suzanne Collins is a master at combining brilliant storytelling, superb world building, breathtaking suspense, and social commentary,” Scholastic Trade Publishing President Ellie Berger said in a statement to The Associated Press. “We are absolutely thrilled — as both readers and publishers — to introduce the devoted fans of the series and a new audience to an entirely new perspective on this modern classic.”
The last Hunger Games novel, Mockingjay, released in 2010, and the last film hit theaters in 2015. Collins is reportedly also working closely with Lionsgate to bringing the prequel to the big screen, though there has been no public announcement of an official deal. Read more...
File sharing has come a long way since LimeWire — but users of torrenting sites may still have security and privacy fears.
This is where VPNs — which encrypt data leaving your computer and make it impossible for others to see what you’re downloading — come in handy. To the uninitiated, these virtual private networks assign a virtual IP address to obscure your real location from others, which is important when sharing snippets of files with other users of a torrenting client, especially if what you’re sharing is copyrighted material. (This is of course illegal and we do not condone it!)
Our first look at Steven Spielberg's take on West Side Story is here.
The photo (above) highlights the story's two rival New York City gangs — the Sharks and the Jets — and the romantic coupling that threatens to tear them all apart. Stars Ansel Elgot (Tony) and newcomer Rachel Zegler (Maria) are situated right in the middle, as it should be.
Spielberg's take on a bona fide Broadway classic sticks to the original's 1957 setting, as you probably gathered already from the fashion choices in this photo. The musical is essentially a modernized twist on William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, with urban street gangs taking the place of warring Italian families in the 14th century. Read more...
TL;DR: Save up to £900 on hundreds of popular laptops and desktops in the Dell 72-hour sale, with the code SAVE14.
If you are on the look out for a new laptop or desktop, then it's your lucky day. Well, actually it's your lucky 72 hours, because Dell has launched a sale with 14 percent off hundreds of its best devices.
You can now save up to £900 on hundreds of desktops and laptops in Dell’s 72-hour sale. It couldn't be easier to save. You just need to input the code SAVE14 in the basket, and that's it. The sale ends on June 19, so you do need to act fast. There's so many great devices on offer though that it shouldn't be tricky to find something you like. Read more...
TL;DR: The powerful Sony Bravia XE80 4K TV is available for just £459, saving you over £340 on list price.
No home is truly complete without a TV. You might be the book-reading type of family, but come on, what are you going to point your furniture at without a TV?
If you are a TV-watching kind of family, then you need an impressive model to satisfy an expectant audience. The Sony Bravia XE80 4K TV is just that, with powerful features including 4K High Dynamic Range.
The Sony Bravia XE80 is all about exceptional picture quality, with striking contrast, real-life colours, and 4K detail. It also has a really stylish and slim design, making it an attractive addition to any home. With the Google Assistant built-in, you can also use your voice to find your favourite programmes, apps, videos, or music, as well as search for information and more. It's the complete package, basically. Read more...
TL;DR: The portable Microsoft Surface Laptop is down to under £500 on Amazon, saving you £299.01 on list price.
Laptops are great for surfing the web, watching your favourite shows, and a bunch of other fun activities. Unfortunately, what we generally use our laptops for more than anything else is work. It's a sad fact of life, but an important one to remember when it comes to purchasing a new device.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop is a great option for anyone that needs to get work done on the go. For a start, it's massively portable, weighing just 1.25 kilograms. So it's not going to weigh you down when you're trying to navigate your way through the crowds. It also has an impressive 11-hour battery life, meaning you can hunker down for a marathon study session whenever you need to. Read more...
We have some good news to brighten your Monday. We have tracked down the best deals on speakers, headphones, grooming essentials, Amazon devices, and much more, all for you.
You can save on a wide range of top products from the biggest brands, including Apple, Bose, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic. This is your best chance to pick up a 4K TV, portable speaker, or electric toothbrush, at a heavily discounted rate.
These are the best deals from across the internet for June 17.
Best of the best
We have handpicked the very best deals from across the web, with chances to save on Amazon devices, gaming subscriptions, 4K TVs, and more. Read more...
Every day ofPride Month, Mashable will be sharing illuminating conversations with members of the LGBTQ community who are making history right now.
While non-binary people have always existed in America, more and more people are rejecting the gender binary.
In part, that's because the culture is starting to changeA study recently published by the non-partisan Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) found that more than six in ten Americans say they've become more supportive of transgender rights in the past five years, compared to 25 percent who have become more opposed. That's a remarkable shift. Read more...
"Asked a few friends to be in the 'You Need to Calm Down' video."
That was the tweet Taylor Swift sent on Sunday, in the countdown to her new music video being released. And boy, has she delivered.
The video, which is set against the backdrop of a brightly-coloured tea party/food fight, dropped Monday morning — and it features everyone from RuPaul and Ryan Reynolds to Ellen and the stars of Queer Eye. Even Katy Perry makes a surprise appearance at the very end. Read more...
To survive in today's world, a laptop is almost a necessity. Whether you're a contractor using a 2-in-1 (a PC that has the features of both a laptop and a tablet) to show off floor plans or a student who needs a Chromebook for class, they make life that much easier. Read more...
TL;DR: The impressive Apple iPhone 8 is down to just £636.65 on Amazon, saving you over £100.
It's not every day that you can save over £100 on an Apple iPhone 8, but that day has come.
It's pretty tough to find good deals on Apple devices, because they continue to sell readily at list price long after release. That's why we always try to let you know when there is a good deal. We're nice like that.
The Apple iPhone 8 in Space Grey is currently down to just £636.65 on Amazon. This device is normally listed at £749, meaning you save £122.35 if you purchase before midnight on June 17. It's rare to see an iPhone 8 on offer, so we have to be content with the fact that this deal expires in a matter of hours. If you're fast enough, you can save big. Read more...
Listening to music can have a profound effect on your state of mind — which could be part of the reason we buy headphones like they're going out of fashion. Listening to music (or podcasts, or audiobooks) can be an integral part of getting through that daily commute or lengthy flight. Read more...
Freddie Mercury, Albert Einstein, and Gloria Estefan all have one thing in common: They're refugees.
In a new video released by the International Rescue Committee (IRC), celebrities like Mandy Patinkin, Lena Headey, and Keegan-Michael Key read letters to prominent figures who were refugees as a way of highlighting just how important they are for society.
"The story you needed to tell, and that the world needed to hear, might never have been written," says Patinkin to Elie Wiesel. "Millions of hearts and minds might never have been opened or challenged."
The only thing more important to runners than their trainers is a quality pair of headphones and a killer playlist. Running without music is like some form of medieval torture: it sucks. And cheap, crappy headphones just aren't going to cut it. Read more...
Still putting up with a tablet so old and clunky that it looks like a heavy-duty kids tablet? Modern problems require modern solutions — in this case, it's taking $99 off the newest Apple iPad Pro at Amazon. This bad boy features a glorious 11-inch edge-to-edge liquid Retina display, four-speaker audio with wider stereo sound, up to 10 hours of battery life, and support of editing apps like Lightroom.
Shopping for a gamer sounds like it should be easy, but getting them the right gift can be a bit more complicated than you think. The good news: there’s so much to choose from. The bad news: there’s so much to choose from.
It’s even worse when you consider all the different kinds of gamers out there. From those who pledge allegiance to the PC master race to Nintendo purists and everything in between, it isn’t easy finding just the right gift to add to their setup. But if you nail it, you won’t find anyone more grateful than a gamer.
Bluetooth speakers allow us to experience music no matter where we go. Whether it's listening to classical pieces from Mozart or Halsey's newest single, you shouldn't have to miss out on enjoying your favorites. But with so many great Bluetooth speakers to choose from, how do you know which ones are the best? Read more...
Anyone who dipped into the Game of Thrones hashtag on Twitter during the final season — or read some of the reviews — will know that not everyone liked it.
Quite a few people really didn't like it, in fact.
Speaking to The Guardian, Lena Headey — aka the ever-terrifying Cersei Lannister — said she still hasn't "sat down drunkly" with the creators. But she does admit to having a few gripes.
One of those, it seems, is her character's demise.
“I will say I wanted a better death," said Headey. Read more...
AirPods are not the be-all and end-all of truly wireless earbuds.
Sure, they may have sparked an entire wireless revolution, but there are worthy and dare we say, better, alternatives out there. Even better, many of these alternatives don't require you to shell out more than $120.
A prime example: the xFyro ARIA wireless Bluetooth earbuds, a pair of top-rated true wireless earbuds that give AirPods a run for their money. And for a limited time, you can snag your own pair for 60% off the original price. Read more...
TL;DR: Protect your online identity with SaferVPN, which is on sale for an additional 15% off, dropping the lifetime price to just $34.
Browsing the internet without a VPN is like driving without a seatbelt, cycling without a helmet, and well, you get the picture. Doing so won't put you in harm's way immediately, but it's certainly not the safest option.
As you may have heard, the internet is constantly under the scrutiny of malicious hackers that may pounce anytime they please. No one is safe — not even the US government.
If you put a premium on your security, the least you can do is employ the help of a VPN to protect yourself against anyone looking to compromise your dataSaferVPN is one of the fastest, simplest, and most reliable options on the market — and you can grab a lifetime subscription on sale for an extra 15% off. Read more...
The word "impeach" probably wasn't something you'd heard spoken all that much before 2016.
Nowadays it's everywhere. But what does it actually mean?
"It is true that many people don't fully understand what impeachment involves," explains John Oliver in the clip above. "So we thought tonight might be a good time to discuss what it is, why it may be warranted, and what the risks might be in carrying it out."
As Oliver breaks down in his latest Last Week Tonight segment, impeachment is no simple matter. It requires a certain number of votes in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. The latter would mean 20 republican senators would need to go against Trump — making it pretty unlikely that he'd actually end up leaving office. Read more...
Mariah Carey or Marie Curie? A not-so-common mix-up, but one that saw quite the birthday blunder.
In a tweet, author Harriet Alida Lye explained that her cousin, Siobhan, told her colleagues in England she wanted a cake with singer Mariah Carey's face on it — a perfectly reasonable request for one's birthday.
You'd think one of the world's most recognisable pop stars would be a piece of, uh, cake for most people to organise, but in this case, Lye's cousin received a cake featuring Noble Prize-winning French physicist Marie Curie.
"They misunderstood, and [this] is the cake they made her instead," Lye wrote. "It's Marie Curie, looking very festive." Read more...
Stain removal is an art form, and one that few have actually mastered.
That's why I turn to YouTube to get my stain removal needs satisfied. I've spent years trying everything to get the stains off my clothes. I've gone through multiple Tide to Go pens, which are supposed to erase away most stains (they don't). I have poured half-bottles of detergent on my wine-soaked sheets. Beautiful bottles of club soda have been wasted on carpet stains, all for nothing.
Despite all my efforts, I'm nowhere near as talented as the people who showcase their stain remove techniques on YouTube. These people have skill. Their mastery of stain removal is seemingly unmatched. I don't even care if their stain removal videos are doctored — I'm here for the magic of it all. Read more...
"Eating Things," a Youtube channel usually dedicated to making videos about eating incongruous meals in the middle of famous movie scenes, leveled up with a deepfake featuring Jon Snow apologizing for Season 8 of Game of Thrones. The voice sounds so similar to Kit Harington's Jon Snow accent it's hard to discern it from the real thing, except when the (former) King in the North mentions the Starbucks cup and apologizes for wasting viewers' time with the final season. That much is definitely fake. Read more...
Case spotlights contest playing out in intelligence world alongside trade war
BEIJING -- China's drive to create a 21st century military-industrial complex has hit an obstacle: A key official leading it is under investigation by the country's top anti-corruption agency, possibly for leaking state secrets to other countries.
Peng Yuxing had been the vice governor of Sichuan province and the head of a working group tasked with bringing industrial technology to the military and war-making technology to the private sector. The initiative, labeled "civil-military integration," (CMI) is one of President Xi Jinping's pet projects.
Some believe the strategy is inspired by the U.S., where talk of a military-industrial complex goes back to the days after World War II. The project has sparked alarm in Washington.
"China is seeking to reform its defense industrial base and achieve self-reliance in key technologies," said Bonnie Glaser, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic & International Studies, a Washington-based think tank. "This is increasingly seen as a threat to U.S. national security."
As for Peng, he is under investigation for "suspected severe violations of disciplines and laws," according to the state-run China Daily. It is believed Peng was spirited away to Beijing sometime in April by Xi's potent anti-corruption commission.
In this photo released by the U.S. Navy, the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group conduct joint operations in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations over the weekend. (US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Catie Coyle)
President Donald Trump's national security team is expected to discuss in detail this week whether to send additional US military force to the Middle East in the wake of last week's attack on two oil tankers, according to two US officials with direct knowledge of the discussions.
It is not yet clear how soon Trump will be briefed and when a decision will be made, the officials said.
Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan hinted at the discussions Friday.
"When you look at the situation, a Norwegian ship, Japanese ship, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, UAE, 15% of the world's oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz, so we obviously need to make contingency plans should the situation deteriorate but we also need to broaden our support for this international situation," he said.
The Chinese military is guilty of "irresponsible actions" toward American forces stationed at Djibouti's Camp Lemonnier on the Horn of Africa, a senior U.S. military intelligence officer said.
The home of U.S. military operations in the region and the biggest U.S. base on the continent, Camp Lemonnier is near the People's Liberation Army's first overseas military base, and the proximity has been a continuing source of tension.
Rear Adm. Heidi Berg, director of intelligence at the U.S. Africa Command, told a small group of African-based journalists in a telephone media roundtable that China tried to "constrain international airspace" by barring aircraft from flying over the Chinese military base, flashed ground-based lasers into the eyes of American pilots and deployed drones designed to interfere with U.S. flight operations.
.... Adm. Berg said Djibouti, as the host nation for the U.S. and Chinese bases, needs to "focus on maintaining their sovereignty" in the face of strong economic leverage from Beijing. China, she said, "currently holds over 88% of Djiboutian debt, and that is a concern."
She said Chinese military and security engagement have increased significantly on the continent in the past five years and warned that the U.S. was falling behind in trade.
"China [has been] the principal trade partner in Africa since 2016. They've tripled their loans since 2012, and Beijing is the major debt holder for multiple sub-Saharan African governments. Since 2014, we're estimating over $172 billion worth of investments in loans," she said.
WASHINGTON ― The House Armed Services Committee approved a new military branch for space early Thursday.
The panel unanimously adopted the measure by a voice vote after debating for less than an hour. It was offered by Strategic Forces Subommittee chairman Jim Cooper, D-Tenn., and Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., who first offered the idea of a sixth branch two years ago.
"So the Space Corps is as close as we could make it to the proposal that passed this committee overwhelmingly," Cooper said.
Democrats in Congress say the administration should not hand the Saudis valuable weapons tech given the kingdom's conduct in Yemen and its human rights record.
WASHINGTON — A controversial arms deal for Arab allies approved by the Trump administration will allow U.S. hi-tech bomb parts to be manufactured in Saudi Arabia, giving Riyadh unprecedented access to a sensitive weapons technology.
The production arrangement is part of a larger $8.1 billion arms package for Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan announced two weeks ago. The Trump administration pressed ahead with the sale without congressional approval, declaring an "emergency" based on what it said was a heightened threat from Iran.
The deal came as a surprise to lawmakers, who were outraged that the administration chose to bypass Congress. But most members of Congress only learned days after the deal was announced May 24 that it opens the door for Saudi Arabia to host the production of electronic guidance and control systems for Paveway precision-guided bombs, congressional aides said.
NASA plans to return to the Moon by 2024 as a "proving ground" to test the next generation of spacecraft. The space agency said that the mission will see the first woman to stride the lunar surfacehttps://t.co/fzShsVDOju
Yemen's Houthi movement launched fresh drone attacks targeting Jizan and Abha airports in southern Saudi Arabia, the group's Al-Masirah TV said on Saturday, adding the installations were out of service, Reuters reports.
The Saudi-led coalition said in a statement that it had intercepted and downed a Houthi drone targeting the southwestern city of Abha.
The Iran-aligned group said multiple drone strike targeted control rooms at Jizan airport and a fuel station at Abha airport.
WNU Editor: This is becoming the new normal .... Houthi rebels launching drone attacks against Saudi Arabia with Saudi Arabia responding with air strikes.
More News On Yemen's Houthis Targeting Two Saudi Airports On Saturday With Multiple Drone Attacks
Protesters attend a demonstration demanding Hong Kong's leaders to step down and withdraw the extradition bill, in Hong Kong, China, June 16, 2019. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu Tyrone Siu/Reuters
A day after two commercial tankers are hit in the Gulf of Oman, reports emerge the Houthis are firing -- and hitting -- US aircraft.
WASHINGTON: The US on Sunday accused Iran and Iranian-backed Houthi rebels of firing surface-to-air missiles at American Reaper drones twice over the past week, confirming earlier reports that the Houthis brought down one of the US drones over Yemen on June 6.
Houthi social media accounts posted video and photos last week showing what they claimed were images of the downed Reaper. The shootdown, and another attempted shootdown by what the US claims were Iranian forces, represent a significant escalation in tensions in the Gulf region after weeks of rhetoric by US and Iranian officials, sparking fears over the countries stumbling into a military confrontation.
The incidents, according to a CENTCOM statement, were undertaken by Iran, or "enabled" by the regime.
* The original U-2, developed in complete secrecy, took its first flight in August 1955. * Sixty-four years later, the Dragon Lady is still prowling the skies, but with a whole new set of controls and sensors.
Since the mid-1950s, the US Air Force's U-2 Dragon Lady has been cruising the upper reaches of the atmosphere, snooping almost totally unnoticed.
While the mission is pretty much the same, the aircraft doing it are much different.
"The 'U' in U-2 stands for 'utility,' so a lot of people are like, 'OK, 1955, what are we doing in 2019, when we're flying F-35s and F-22s ... why are we flying the U-2 that was built in 1955?'" Maj. Travis "Lefty" Patterson, a U-2 pilot, said during an event hosted by the Air Force in May at the Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum in New York City.
WNU Editor: There are still quite a few U-2s flying ....
.... The Air Force currently has about 30 of the single-seat U-2 for missions and four of the two-seat TU-2, which is used for training, based at Beale Air Force Base.
If you ever see a plane that looks as though someone has stuck a large handle, or a giant push-button on the top, then what you're seeing is an AWACS: a military aircraft that provides countries with an eye in the sky to take a sneak peek from far away at other nations' aircraft, missiles, ships, and vehicles.
Of course drones or satellites can also accomplish those tasks. But satellites especially can be much pricier than a plane, and they are just eyes: they cannot jam enemy radars, for example. Meanwhile, an AWACS—that stands for "airborne warning and control system"—can do that, thanks to the host of electronic warfare equipment it carries.
A NATO AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control Systems) aircraft approaches the Air Base number 5 during the Real Thaw 2018 exercise in Monte Real, Portugal, February 6, 2018. Reuters
PARIS (Reuters) - NATO faces significant costs if it does not act soon to choose a successor for its ageing fleet of 14 Boeing E-3A Airborne Warning & Control System (AWACS) surveillance aircraft, often called the alliance's "eyes in the sky", senior officials said.
Michael Gschossmann, general manager of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization agency that manages the AWACS fleet, said he expected to finalize by December a $750 million contract with U.S. arms maker Boeing Co to extend the life of the aircraft through 2035, with $250 million more earmarked for design, spare parts and testing.
But he said it was critical to decide quickly how to replace the 1979/1980-era airplanes, with their distinctive radar domes on the fuselage, or NATO would need to take costly steps to keep them flying even longer.
"We have to get moving on this. We have to ensure that the studies move along quickly. We need a reality check," he said.
Chief Executive Carrie Lam issues an apology for the government's handling of the controversial bill amendment
A massive rally was held in Hong Kong on Sunday to oppose the government's controversial extradition bill amendment.
About two million people joined the protest march on Hong Kong Island to vent anger over Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor's decision to suspend – but not withdraw – the controversial bill, according to the organizers' estimates. Protesters also called for Lam to step down.
Police estimated that the rally attracted only 338,000 people. The Civil Human Rights Front, which organized the rally, said the number of protesters at a march on June 9 reached 1.03 million, while police pegged that crowd at 240,000 at its peak.
The Red Fighter Pilot (German: Der Rote Kampfflieger) by Manfred von Richthofe.
WNU Editor: The Red Fighter Pilot (German: Der Rote Kampfflieger) is a book written by Manfred von Richthofen, a famous German fighter pilot who is considered the top scoring ace of the First World War, being officially credited with 80 air combat victories. Richthofen's most common German nickname was "Der Rote Kampfflieger," which roughly translates to "The Red Battle Flyer" or "The Red Fighter Pilot." Today he is better known as the Red Baron. (Wikipedia)
Pat Shanahan's critics call him a weak link on the president's team but the acting defense secretary says he knows how to deal with the unexpected.
The knocks on President Donald Trump's defense-secretary-in-waiting have been circulating for months behind closed doors in the Pentagon and on Capitol Hill.
Pat Shanahan is the "Boeing guy" who is still doing the bidding of his former employer, his critics inside and outside the administration say. He allows White House appointees, including National Security Adviser John Bolton, to directly contact lower Pentagon officials, according to current and former Defense Department officials who consider it a breach of the chain of command. He obsesses about his image — as shown in the all-black turtleneck ensemble he wore for a February visit to Afghanistan, which earned him mocking comparisons to a Bond villain or Keanu Reeves' character from "The Matrix."
WNU Editor: The White House has still not formally submitted his nomination to the US Senate for confirmation, raising doubts that President Trump is dedicated to having Patrick Shanahan his Secretary of Defense. My guess is that deep inside President Trump wants someone else, but the people he wants are not interested in the job.
The Trump Economy is setting records, and has a long way up to go....However, if anyone but me takes over in 2020 (I know the competition very well), there will be a Market Crash the likes of which has not been seen before! KEEP AMERICA GREAT
* Trump issued the dire warning in a tweet on Saturday on the way to golf course * Said he has overseen a record-breaking economy that Dems can't maintain * Trump's re-election campaign officially launches with Orlando rally Tuesday
President Donald Trump has said that failure to re-elect him would result in economic disaster.
'The Trump Economy is setting records, and has a long way up to go....However, if anyone but me takes over in 2020 (I know the competition very well), there will be a Market Crash the likes of which has not been seen before! KEEP AMERICA GREAT,' he said in a tweet on Saturday morning.
The tweet was sent as his motorcade rolled from the White House to Trump National Golf Course in Sterling, Virginia.
Trump officially starts his 2020 campaign on Tuesday with a rally in Orlando, Florida.
An expert said it's possible to embed technology such as a chip without a customer's knowledge that could change how it functions.
A Chinese-owned company is making circuit boards for the top-secret next generation F-35 warplanes flown by Britain and the United States, Sky News can reveal.
Exception PCB, a printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturer in Gloucestershire, south west England, produces circuit boards that "control many of the F-35's core capabilities", according to publicity material produced by the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD).
Guatemalans are heading to the polls to choose a new president, new congress members and new mayors.
Nineteen people are competing to succeed President Jimmy Morales. Two candidates who were tipped as favourites have been barred from running.
The election is not expected to yield an outright winner, as candidates need to win over 50 percent of the vote.
Gang violence and poverty are the main topics that have dominated campaigning.
Thelma Aldana, the former attorney-general, and Zury Ríos, the daughter of the late military ruler Efraín Ríos Montt, have been barred from running for the presidency. Another candidate was arrested in Miami on suspicion of conspiring to import cocaine to the US.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reiterated on Sunday President Trump's claim that Iran was behind last week's attacks on oil tankers near the strategic Strait of Hormuz and that the United States is ready to take action if necessary.
Pompeo said that Washington does not want to go into an armed conflict with Tehran, but hoped that the threats of force will be enough to draw Iranian leaders to the negotiating table.
"These were attacks by The Islamic Republic of Iran on commercial shipping, on the freedom of navigation, with a clear intent to deny transit through the strait," Pompeo said in an interview on "Fox News Sunday." "There's no doubt. The intelligence community has lots of data, lots of evidence -- the world will come to see much of it."
Attacks on two oil tankers on Thursday in the Gulf of Oman left one ablaze and both adrift, driving oil prices up over worries about Middle East supplies. ISNA/via REUTERS
Foreign minister seems to suggest Tehran's enemies are behind assaults on ships in Persian Gulf, after Washington issues video it says shows Iranian forces interfering with vessel.
Iran's foreign minister on Friday accused the US, Israel and Saudi Arabia of a plot to "sabotage diplomacy" after attacks on two tankers in the Persian Gulf, and appeared to insinuate that those countries were behind the assaults.
Mohammad Javad Zarif in an early Friday morning tweet said the fact that "the US immediately jumped to make allegations against Iran — [without] a shred of factual or circumstantial evidence — only makes it abundantly clear that the #B_Team is moving to a #PlanB: Sabotage diplomacy…and cover up its #EconomicTerrorism against Iran."
WNU Editor: This latest attack occurred in a region that is very close to Iran, and under their constant surveillance. It is hard to believe that this attack occurred with them not knowing what was happening.
Underlying the one-year anniversary in mid-August of the signing of the 'Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea' is one of the greatest oil industry swindles in recent years. When representatives of the five Caspian littoral states meet on the 11th and 12th of August, Iran intends to seek some redress from Russia on Moscow's manoeuvring last August. The Islamic Republic believes that it was robbed of its historical rights in the Caspian, conned out of a US$50 billion per year income, and left without Russia's support against the re-imposition of U.S. sanctions.
WNU Editor: Nothing remains forever. The idea that Iran expected to have 50% "ownership" of the Caspian Sea in today's reality was never realistic. One needs to only look at the above map to see why Iran got stuck with 12%.
* Putin helped Xi celebrate his 66th birthday by presenting him with ice cream * The Russian President also met Erdogan and other political figures in Tajikistan * It comes as Iran has been accused by the US of attacking oil tankers in the Gulf
Vladimir Putin was pictured alongside President Erdogan, Xi Jinping and the Emir of Qatar as he flew into Tajikistan for a summit.
The Russian President attended the summit with other world leaders as he attempts to cultivate closer ties with China and the Middle East as amid growing tensions with the US.
Putin was pictured shaking hands with Xi and enjoying an informal chat with Erdogan as the conference kicked off on Saturday.
It comes in the same week the US accused Iran of carrying out Thursday's attacks on two oil tankers in a vital oil shipping route at the mouth of the Gulf. Tehran has denied having any role.
On the morning of March 20, 2005, then-Sgt. Leigh Ann Hester was tasked with assisting a supply convoy moving east of Baghdad, a job that meant scanning and clearing the route of any improvised explosive devices.
She'd done this job countless times before, getting shot at on almost a daily basis and seeing vehicles blown up more times than anyone would like to remember.
Executing daily patrols as a member of the National Guard's Kentucky-based 617th Military Police Company meant guaranteed exposure to combat, something the Pentagon, until an order was signed in 2013, was not even allowing women to officially engage in as a occupational specialty.
"It was that one job where you can get out there and get dirty and be in an infantry-type environment," she told the Tennessean in 2015.
"I guess it was one of the more exciting jobs in the military for women when I enlisted and it still is now."
I interviewed General Mohamed Hamdan, known as Hemeti, whose fighters led the brutal assault on protesters in Khartoum on June 3. Story: https://t.co/Xn2VUZOvLa
IVANKA TRUMP, Donald Trump's daughter and political adviser, took to Instagram to wish a happy Father's Day to dad, President Trump, and husband Jared Kushner.
US PRESIDENT Donald Trump is expected to hold talks with his national security team this week which could result in him sending more US troops to the Middle East, according to reports.
THE US has escalated its cyber attacks against Russia according to a shock report from senior Pentagon sources after planting a malware bug that could shutdown the entire country's pwoer grid "in case of military war".
US President Donald Trump has revealed that the Pentagon briefed him on the surge in UFOs spotted in American skies, but it was his reaction to the question that sparked an online frenzy.
AMANDA KNOX broke down in tears as she returned to Italy for the first time since she was acquitted of killing her British room-mate, Meredith Kercher.
The international face of Hong Kong’s democracy movement, Joshua Wong was released from prison in Hong Kong Monday at a critical juncture in the city’s fight for political freedom. Just the day before, a huge demonstration in the heart of the city forced Hong Kong’s leader, Chief Executive Carrie Lam, to issue an apology for her handling of a bill that would allow for the extradition of fugitives to mainland China.
Sunday’s march was the second massive demonstration in a week to call for the withdrawal of a bill that has united virtually all segments of society—from teens to grandparents, student radicals to conservative business figures—in opposition to it. While the government says the bill is necessary to stop Hong Kong from becoming a haven for criminals, critics say it will be used by China to apprehend dissidents and political opponents, thereby threatening the semi-autonomous enclave’s cherished freedoms.
Wong was in prison for both demonstrations, completing a sentence for his role int he 2014 democracy uprising known as the Umbrella Revolution. But he is now out and eager for the fray. At 21, Wong is already a seasoned organizer, and his release will be a boost for a movement that has been characterized as leaderless. He went straight from prison to address a rally outside Hong Kong’s legislature, and spoke to TIME immediately afterward.
How do you plan to get involved in the protests now that you’re out of jail?
I believe more and more rallies, protests, and marches will happen. If Carrie Lam refuses to step down, she needs to pay her political price. What I mean is that it’s time for her to end her political career.
Are you afraid of going back to prison?
[This won’t be] the final time for me to serve a jail sentence. I believe the government will prosecute me again, but things can’t defeat me, just make me stronger. At least I hope to prove, to let people to know, that even though I’ve been jailed … I’ve not stepped backwards. I still stand on the front lines with the people in Hong Kong.
The current demand is for Carrie Lam to step down and withdraw the bill. Is that good enough, or is your fight a much broader one?
Carrie Lam is not the leader elected by people of Hong Kong. What we asked for five years ago, in the Umbrella Movement, was the right to free elections, to freely elect the leader of our city. People might feel downhearted or depressed after the end of the Umbrella Movement because we couldn’t achieve what we want. But people are coming to the street again. Even if Carrie Lam steps down, the next leader is still elected by Beijing. That’s why we still continue to fight. If you asked anyone living in Hong Kong one month ago, told them that, “Hey, there will be demonstration with millions of people joining the fight,” no one would have believed it. However, we turn something impossible to possible. Tremendous change lies ahead.
So you think that the system of government needs to change in Hong Kong? What would you like to see?
Free elections, to freely elect the leader of our city … to not prosecute or arrest any activists that fight for the future of Hong Kong.
Carrie Lam issued an apology statement last night during the end of the protest. What are your thoughts on it?
Sorry is not enough. Instead of asking for her to explain more, it’s better to end her political career, to have a retired life.
What do you want the world to know about the protesters?
Hong Kong is different to mainland China. We protect our freedoms. We ask for free elections to elect the leader of our city. It’s not the final battle, it’s not the endgame, because the Hong Kong government and Beijing have turned a whole generation of students from citizens to dissidents. I think President Xi might be really angry at how Carrie Lam generated more than a million dissidents that live in and love this place.
What do you want countries like the U.S. to be doing?
The Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act [introduced in the U.S. Senate] is a policy act that is strongly supported by activists like me and also the activist group that I belong to, Demosisto. I urge the U.S. Congress to pass the act. As we know, Hong Kong enjoys and is recognized as a separate economic entity it’s because still has a certain degree of freedom but with what has happened in the last few years, Beijing needs to pay the price for it.
What was the first thing you did when you got out of jail this morning?
Accepted media interviews.
—With reporting by Laignee Barron, Aria Hangyu Chen, Amy Gunia, Abhishyant Kidangoor, Hillary Leung and Feliz Solomon / Hong Kong
Activists and striking students gathered outside Hong Kong’s Legislative Council on Monday to listen to freed democracy campaigner Joshua Wong on the day he was released from prison—and one day after massive protests forced an abject climb down from the government over highly contentious legislation.
From mid-morning, protesters braved the stormy weather in their push for the withdrawal of a divisive extradition bill and the ouster of the semi-autonomous enclave’s leader, Chief Executive Carrie Lam, whose championing of the bill has proven to be a disastrous miscalculation.
Wong began addressing the cheering crowd at around 2:30 p.m. local time.
“Just this morning, I left prison,” he told the crowd in Cantonese. “I regret that I was not able to participate in [Sunday’s] protest. But in my prison clothes, I watched it all happen.
“Our demand is that the government totally withdraw the bill, and retract [its depiction of] the demonstrations as a riot, and condemn police violence.”
“On TV, I saw Carrie Lam speaking in an interview. She was crying tears, while Hong Kong protesters are bleeding.”
Huge numbers of Hongkongers brought the city’s downtown areas to a standstill Sunday as they peacefully marched against a legislative amendment that would allow fugitives to be extradited to China for the first time. The government says that the extradition measure is necessary to prevent Hong Kong from becoming a haven for criminals, but many in Hong Kong fear that Beijing will use the provision to come after its political opponents in Hong Kong.
The size of the march prompted an apology from Lam, but her mea culpa has only infuriated protesters, who see it as insincere. They are also dissatisfied by her promise to postpone the bill, demanding that it be dropped altogether.
“We all know two million people showed up on the streets yesterday,” said lawmaker Eddie Chu, quoting the organizers’ unverified estimate of the number of people who marched. “All of us were forced by Carrie lam to come out. This movement is a Hong Kong people’s movement,” he said, speaking just before Wong addressed the gathering.
The crowd included many young but determined protesters.
Paige Law, 14, was sitting outside the legislature revising for a math test tomorrow. “My parents don’t know I’m here right now,” she said.
Nearby was Kristen Cheung, an 18-year-old striking university student. “I want people to know that we are not rioters and that we are not some sort of political tool being manipulated,” she said. “We are just students who want to show we care a lot about Hong Kong and don’t want this law to ruin our future.”
Legislator Au Nok-hin appealed to the youthful crowd to keep protests peaceful. “We want everyone on the scene to promise us something. Don’t bleed, don’t get arrested, don’t get hurt, can you do this? Promise me.”
A large crowd then marched on Lam’s office to demand her resignation. Dissident and former legislator Leung Kwok-hung said “Carrie Lam, are you deaf? Are you blind? Talk to the people, not [Chinese president] Xi Jinping!”
Marchers stood outside Lam’s office at police barriers, chanting “No withdrawal, no retreat!” Legislator Eddie Chu led chants of “We are the owners of city, we are not slaves!”
Meanwhile Wong pledged to resume the fight for the city’s freedom.
“Now is the time for me to join this fight,” he told reporters. “It’s time for us to urge Carrie Lam to withdraw the extradition law proposal and it is her responsibility to step down”
However, he asked for time to study developments that had taken place while he was in prison.
“I’ve only been out for four hours. I need time to digest the situation. Since leaving jail I haven’t had time to look at news,” he said.
—With reporting by Laignee Barron, Abhishyant Kidangoor and Hillary Leung / Hong Kong
GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — Early results in Guatemala’s presidential election point to a businesswoman in the lead in a nation where tens of thousands have fled poverty and gang violence to seek a new life in the United States.Three hours after polls closed, but with votes tallied from just 13% of polling centers, former first lady Sandra Torres had captured more than 22% of the vote, followed by four-time presidential candidate Alejandro Giammattei with 16%. There were 19 candidates and early results were in line with expectations.
At this rate no candidate will win the more than 50% of votes needed to assume the post after a first round, with a second vote likely to take place in August. Presidents are limited to a single, four-year term.
The next president of this Central American country will be tasked starting in January with attempting to stem growing violence, poverty and outward migration. An estimated 1 percent of Guatemala’s population of some 16 million people has left the country this year.
Guatemalans are also clamoring for a crackdown on corruption: Three of the last four elected presidents have been arrested post-presidency on charges of corruption.
“There is a belief that instead of advancing in these four years of government, we’ve gone backward,” said Marco René Cuellar, 39, the first to vote at the Mixed Rural School in the municipality of Santa Catarina Pinula. “We’ve lost our way as a country, but we should not lose faith in the democratic process we have.”
Voters chose between 19 candidates, with more than 8.1 million citizens also eligible to vote for the vice president, congressional representatives and mayors.
The election marked the first time that Guatemalans could cast ballots from abroad: At least 60,000 were eligible to vote in Los Angeles, New York, Maryland and Washington, D.C., all home to large numbers of Guatemalan emigres.
Businessman Roberto Arzú, diplomat Edmond Auguste Mulet Lesieur and indigenous human rights advocate Thelma Cabrera rounded out the top-five candidates for the presidency.
On Sunday, municipal officials and police stood guard as many waited in line to cast their ballot in an election dinged by threats of violence and possible fraud.
To the east of the capital, in the Zacapa department, voting stations didn’t open in the San Jorge municipality after organizers were threatened with violence. More than 7,000 people were unable to cast votes there. Voting was also called off in Esquipulas Palo Gordo, near the border with Mexico in the San Marcos department, amid accusations of vote-buying.
The attorney general’s office launched an investigation after a voter posted a video to social media showing how her ballot was allegedly already marked for Torres.
The campaign season was marked by a chaotic flurry of court rulings, shenanigans, illegal party-switching and allegations of malfeasance that torpedoed the runs of two of the three front-runners, including Chief Prosecutor Thelma Aldana.
Aldana gained international renown for leading crusading anti-corruption investigations in tandem with a U.N.-backed anti-graft commission operating in Guatemala, but was booted from the race on the grounds that she lacked a document certifying that she didn’t have any outstanding accounts from her time overseeing a public budget as prosecutor.
Outgoing President Jimmy Morales, who is barred from seeking re-election, took office in 2016 promising to root out corruption after his predecessor was brought down by a probe led by the U.N.’s International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala, or CICIG. But Morales soon became a target of CICIG himself for alleged campaign finance violations, starting a bitter dispute with the agency in which he terminated its mandate.
A recent poll from CID Gallup Latinoamerica found that nearly a third of Guatemalan adults surveyed believe the election will be plagued by fraud. Another 20 percent said the election’s legitimacy would be suspect because so many candidates were kept from running.
Unemployment, violence, corruption, rising costs of living and the shoddy state of the country’s highways are among top concerns for the country’s electorate.
But Fernando Barrillas, 44-year-old Guatemalan citizen, said surging migration was also an issue for him.
“As long as the root causes that propel migration are not addressed, which are poverty and inequality, we will continue to remain without the best men and women, young people who they are the engine of the country,” he said.
COMITAN, Mexico (AP) — Mexican authorities increased immigration enforcement along well-traveled routes for migrants in southern Mexico over the weekend, checking identifications, pulling migrants off public transport and intercepting four trucks packed with nearly 800 migrants.The National Migration Institute said 1,000 immigration agents had been deployed in the north and south of Mexico. The deployment comes as Mexico faces heightened pressure from the U.S. to reduce the surge of mostly Central American migrants through its territory. Mexico plans to position 6,000 National Guard troops by Tuesday to its southern border with Guatemala.The Associated Press saw nearly 10 armed soldiers at a checkpoint near Ciudad Cuauhtémoc, in Chiapas state, wearing black armbands to indicate they are part of the National Guard. The soldiers stopped vehicles while immigration officials checked identification and removed passengers without documents. At another checkpoint just north of Comitán in Chiapas, more than a dozen apparent National Guardsmen drove around backroads in the rain and dark, looking for migrants and human smugglers.
In the Gulf coast state of Veracruz, the National Migration Institute said 791 people were taken Saturday to a migration facility and that drivers of the tractor-trailer trucks transporting them were arrested.
Migrants are routinely transported through Mexico in packed semis, sometimes in dangerous conditions without food or water or sufficient fresh air. Government video showed officials breaking the lock on the door of one cargo truck and helping migrants out.
The institute described the detentions and arrests in Veracruz as part of a strategy implemented by its new commissioner, Francisco Garduño. The former prisons director assumed the post Friday, taking over for a sociologist and academic.
Military police wearing National Guard armbands were also patrolling Sunday along the Suchiate River that separates Mexico from Guatemala. In prior days, migrants were seen being ferried across the river by raft without interference from immigration or other Mexican officials.
Outside Comitán on Sunday, some roadblocks and checkpoints were manned by multiple soldiers and police identifying as National Guard.
At one checkpoint, immigration agent José Ángel Ramírez welcomed the help of the National Guard.
“We don’t have a way to stop so many and the traffickers pass everywhere,” said Ramírez, who was accompanied by a dozen National Guard officers.
Nearby, five Hondurans found traveling without papers were sitting in a holding cell.
One of the Hondurans, a farmer named Armando who was traveling with a daughter and nephew, broke into tears while saying he’d be killed if returned to his country.
After several hours, the Hondurans were transported to a Mexican detention center for migrants.
The Mexican National Guard is a new security force created by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who took office Dec. 1. The security force is still taking shape and was originally established with the goal of stemming endemic violence. Last year saw the highest number of murders in at least 20 years in Mexico.
Mexican soldiers have long been authorized to search vehicles for drugs or weapons, explained one of the newly minted National Guard officers, who declined to give his name. Now, he said, they can detain drivers or others suspected of helping the undocumented move through Mexico.
Comitán locals say that trucks often bypass area checkpoints at night. “We don’t know what they have inside,” said immigration agent Julio Velasco. Mexican officials have set up additional roadblocks in recent days to cover more territory.
Luis Guillermo Lechuga, who sells vests near one of the checkpoints, was skeptical that the increased security presence will reduce the flow of migrants through Comitán and surrounding areas.
“Everything will be the same,” said Lechuga, who expressed a mixture of sympathy and annoyance with the travelers. “Nobody leaves their country without problems.”
Prominent freedom campaigner Joshua Wong was released from prison Monday morning local time—a day after one of the largest street protests in Hong Kong’s history forced an apology from the city’s top official over a divisive extradition bill.
Wong, 21, was completing a three month sentence for his role in the 2014 democracy protests known as the Umbrella Revolution. His release from jail at a critical juncture in the city’s push for greater political freedoms will give a morale boost to youthful protesters and has the potential to make the authorities nervous.
A media scrum in the sweltering June heat greeted the young dissident. Members of his Demosisto party chanted “Oppose China extradition! Oppose the evil law!” as Wong walked out to meet the press.
He thanked Hong Kong people for their support and called for the city’s embattled leader, Chief Executive Carrie Lam, to step down. “It’s hard for us to believe a liar,” he said. He also vowed to join the fight against the extradition bill and urged the international community to help preserve Hong Kong’s “unique standing.”
In an article written for TIME while still in jail, Wong appealed for the world to keep watching local developments. “A victory for Beijing is a victory for authoritarianism everywhere,” he wrote. “Keeping an eye on this place sends an important message to Chinese authorities that democracy, not authoritarianism, is the way of the future.”
He quickly returned to Twitter after his release to announce his solidarity with protesters.
Hello world and hello freedom. I have just been released from prison. GO HONG KONG!! Withdraw the extradition bill. Carrie Lam step down. Drop all political prosecutions!
Wong is expected to speak at a rally later today outside the legislature, where protesters have been gathering since the middle of the morning. Many of them are young striking students.
“I want to support Hong Kong and I want to see Carrie Lam step down,” said Olivia Ho, 15. “I have a test tomorrow but this is about Hong Kong’s future and my future.”
Added 14-year-old Shanice Yu, who had just finished her English exams and came straight from school, “As a Hong Konger, I feel I have the responsibility to fight for our city’s freedoms.”
‘Under attack by an authoritarian government’
On Sunday, huge numbers of Hongkongers brought the city’s downtown areas to a standstill as they peacefully marched against a legislative amendment that would allow fugitives to be extradited to China for the first time. The Union Jack and the Hong Kong colonial flag were seen waving above the crowds—an indication of just how distant many in the semi-autonomous enclave, and former British colony, feel from their sovereign power China.
The death of a 35-year-old man on Saturday, who fell from scaffolding after hoisting a banner denouncing the extradition bill, gave added emotional force to the marchers, who hailed him as a martyr to the Hong Kong freedom movement and formed long queues to lay floral tributes at the scene of his death. Bouquets were still piled high outside the Pacific Place mall on Monday morning as commuters made their way to work.
The government says that the extradition measure is necessary to prevent Hong Kong from becoming a haven for criminals, and adds that political offenses will not be covered by the law. However, critics are unconvinced, pointing out that China frequently charges dissidents with criminal offenses. Many in Hong Kong fear that Beijing will use the provision to come after its political opponents in Hong Kong and silence opposition.
A bid to fast-track the bill has proved a disastrous miscalculation for the administration, and joined a broad swathe of Hong Kong society in opposition to Lam. Yesterday’s march was an impressive show of unity by teenagers and students, the elderly, business people, professionals, families and religious groups.
Local media reports that even Lam’s supporters among the pro-Beijing political parties are attempting to distance themselves from her.
Lam issued an apology for the debacle Sunday night but her mea culpa has been dismissed as belated, insufficient and insincere. Protesters are demanding complete withdrawal of the bill, not merely its postponement.
On Monday morning, a called-for strike did not materialize, but several dozen diehard protesters remained on Harcourt Road, in the shadow of the Central Government Offices and the People’s Liberation Army headquarters, shutting the thoroughfare to traffic until just before 11:00 a.m., when they dispersed peacefully.
Legislator Eddie Chu was among the crowd. He told TIME that Hong Kong’s “tragedy” was its unrepresentative political system. “We define ourselves in the state of being under attack by an authoritarian government. This defensive position has been forming for years already,” he said.
He added that the movement would set realistic goals. “Some young people have been asking for independence, for sovereignty,” he said. But “this particular movement does not touch on political power, universal suffrage, or independence … if we really want to gain anything from Beijing we need to set our target within an acceptable boundary.”
Another legislator at the scene, Au Nok-hin, said: “Even though Harcourt Road has been reopened, this does not mean in any way that the protesters have retreated. Our demands remain simple, for the government to respond to these four points: Carrie Lam step down, release the arrested protestors, condemn police violence, withdraw the bill.”
Supporters of the Civil Human Rights Front also gathered in the neighboring Wanchai district.
Rebecca Lam, 29, told TIME that the chief executive’s apology was “not genuine enough” and said the push for greater political freedom would continue. “We can’t end the movement here.”
Prominent figures in Hong Kong’s fight for freedom agree. “It is going to be a long battle for us to fight for our democracy under the Communist Party of China,” said Wong outside prison. “I’m not sure how many months this battle will take.”
—With reporting by Laignee Barron, Amy Gunia, Hillary Leung and Feliz Solomon / Hong Kong
(BUENOS AIRES, Argentina) — A massive blackout left tens of millions of people without electricity in Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay on Sunday after an unexplained failure in the neighboring countries’ interconnected power grid. Authorities were working frantically to restore power, but by mid-afternoon nearly half of Argentina’s 44 million people were still in the dark.
Voters cast ballots by the light of cell phones in gubernatorial elections in Argentina. Public transportation halted, shops closed and patients dependent on home medical equipment were urged to go to hospitals with generators.
“I was just on my way to eat with a friend, but we had to cancel everything. There’s no subway, nothing is working,” said Lucas Acosta, a 24-year-old Buenos Aires resident. “What’s worse, today is Father’s Day. I’ve just talked to a neighbor and he told me his sons won’t be able to meet him.”
By mid-afternoon, power had been restored to most of Uruguay’s 3 million people. But in Argentina, only 56% of the nation’s grid was back up and running as of 3:30 p.m. local time, Energy Minister Gustavo Lopetegui told a news conference.
“This is an extraordinary event that should have never happened,” Energy Minister Gustavo Lopetegui said. “It’s very serious.”
He said the cause of the massive outage was still under investigation and that workers were working to restore electricity nationwide by the end of the day.
Argentina’s power grid is generally known for being in a state of disrepair, with substations and cables that were insufficiently upgraded as power rates remained largely frozen for years.
An Argentine independent energy expert said that systemic operational and design errors played a role in the power grid’s collapse.
“A localized failure like the one that occurred should be isolated by the same system,” said Raúl Bertero, president of the Center for the Study of Energy Regulatory Activity in Argentina. “The problem is known and technology and studies (exist) to avoid it.”
The country’s energy secretary said the blackout occurred around 7 a.m. local time when a key interconnection system collapsed.
Brazilian and Chilean officials said their countries had not been affected.
Many residents of Argentina and Uruguay said the size of the outage was unprecedented in recent history.
“I’ve never seen something like this,” said Silvio Ubermann, a taxi driver in the Argentine capital. “Never such a large blackout in the whole country.”
Argentine energy company Edesur said on Twitter that the failure originated at an electricity transmission point between the power stations in Yacyretá and Salto Grande in the country’s northeast.
Uruguay’s energy company UTE said the failure in the Argentine system cut power to all of Uruguay at one point and blamed the collapse on a “flaw in the Argentine network.” In Paraguay, rural communities in the south, near the border with Argentina and Paraguay, were also without power.
In Argentina, only the southernmost province of Tierra del Fuego was unaffected because it is not connected to the country’s main power grid.
Several Argentine provinces had elections for governor on Sunday, which proceeded with voters using their phone screens and built-in flashlights to illuminate their ballots.
“This is the biggest blackout in history, I don’t remember anything like this in Uruguay,” said Valentina Giménez, a resident of the capital, Montevideo. She said her biggest concern was that electricity be restored in time to watch the national team play in the Copa America football tournament Sunday evening.
Since taking office, Argentine President Mauricio Macri has said that gradual austerity measures were needed to revive the country’s struggling economy. He has cut red tape and tried to reduce the government’s budget deficit by ordering job cuts and reducing utility subsidies, which he maintained was necessary to recuperate lost revenue due to years-long mismanagement of the electricity sector.
According to the Argentine Institute for Social Development, an average family in Argentina still pays 20 times less for electricity than similar households in neighboring countries.
The subsidies were a key part of the electricity policy of President Néstor Kirchner’s 2003-2007 administration and the presidency of Kirchner’s wife and successor, Cristina Fernández in 2007-2015. Fernandez is now running for vice president in October elections.
(DUBAI, United Arab Emirates) — Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said in remarks published Sunday that the kingdom will not hesitate to confront Iranian threats to its security. He joined the U.S. in accusing its bitter rival Iran of being behind the attacks on two oil tankers traveling near the Strait of Hormuz, a vital trade route for Arabian energy exports to Asia.
Tensions in the Persian Gulf have escalated since the U.S. sent an aircraft carrier strike group and other military assets to the region in what it says is defensive posturing against alleged Iranian threats. The crisis takes root in the Trump Administration’s decision to re-impose punishing economic sanctions on Tehran and its oil exports, after unilaterally withdrawing the U.S. from the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers.
The U.S. alleges Iran used limpet mines to target the tankers on Thursday, pointing to black-and-white footage it captured that American officials describe as an Iranian Revolutionary Guard vessel removing an unexploded mine from the Japanese-operated tanker Kokuka Courageous.
The Japanese tanker’s crewmembers appeared to contradict the assertion that mines were used. They described “flying objects” as having targeted the vessel.
In his first public comments regarding the attacks, the powerful Saudi prince, who is also defense minister and oversees all major levers of power in the country, said the incident “confirms the importance of our demands of the international community to take a decisive stance” against Iran’s behavior.
“The kingdom does not seek war in the region,” the prince said, speaking with the Arabic-language newspaper Asharq al-Awsat. “But we will not hesitate to deal with any threat to our people, sovereignty and vital interests.”
The prince claimed Iran had planned the attack’s timing to undercut the Japanese prime minister’s diplomatic efforts, during his visit to Tehran last week, to reduce regional tensions.
He did not offer any evidence to back up the allegation.
“The problem is in Tehran and not anywhere else,” he added. “Iran is always the party that’s escalating in the region, carrying out terrorist attacks and criminal attacks either directly or through its militias.”
Prince Mohammed touted U.S.-Saudi relations as “essential to achieving regional security and stability.”
Speaking on “Fox News Sunday,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reiterated the U.S. official position. He claimed that intelligence officials have “lots of data, lots of evidence” tying Iran to the attacks, though he did not provide any specifics. He called the alleged shipping attacks “an international challenge, important to the entire globe.”
He said Trump was following an “economic pressure campaign” against Iran but “we do not want war.” He added that the “unambiguous” object of U.S. actions was that Iran would not get nuclear weapons.
Iran rejects accusations it was responsible for Thursday’s attacks, saying it stands ready to play an active and constructive role in ensuring the security of maritime passages. It said the massive U.S. military presence in the region and U.S. sanctions are the main sources of insecurity and instability in the Persian Gulf.
Thursday’s incidents forced the evacuation of all 44 sailors aboard the two vessels. On Saturday, Associated Press journalists saw the crew members of the Norwegian-owned oil tanker MT Front Altair arrive at Dubai International Airport, after spending two days in Iran.
The Front Altair, which caught fire after the apparent attack, limped into anchorage Sunday off the eastern coast of the United Arab Emirates, near the port city of Khorfakkan.
Similar to the recent attacks, four oil tankers off the coast of the United Arab Emirates were apparently targeted in acts of sabotage, which U.S. officials have also blamed on Iran. Two of those vessels belonged to Saudi Arabia. Days later, Iranian-allied Yemeni rebels claimed they were behind a drone attack on a Saudi oil pipeline.
(JERUSALEM) — A Jerusalem magistrate court on Sunday sentenced Sara Netanyahu, the wife of Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to pay a fine of more than $15,000 for misusing state funds. The sentencing comes after she agreed to a plea bargain that ended the years-long saga of just one of the high-profile corruption cases involving the prime minister’s family.
The court ruling settled allegations that Sara Netanyahu had misused some $100,000 in state money on lavish meals. She was indicted on charges of fraud and breach of trust last year after the State Attorney’s office accused her of running up large tabs at luxury restaurants while the official residence employed a full-time chef between the years 2010 and 2013.
The settlement saw her admit to a more minor charge of “intentionally exploiting the mistake of someone else,” specifically by misleading officials who didn’t realize she already benefited from chefs on the government payroll.
Under the terms of the bargain, Sara Netanyahu agreed to pay $2,800 in fines and hand the remaining $12,500 back to the state. The settlement also reduced the overspending charge to $50,000.
But the prime minister himself remains the main focus of the family’s legal troubles. He is facing an indictment on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust, pending a hearing scheduled for early October. He has pushed for a postponement and can still request an extension from the Supreme Court.
Benjamin Netanyahu is accused of accepting lavish gifts from billionaire friends and promising to promote advantageous legislation for a major newspaper in exchange for favorable coverage. He vehemently denies wrongdoing, portraying himself as a victim of media-orchestrated persecution against him and his family in an attempt to oust him from power.
The prime minister and his wife have a reputation for leading indulgent lives at public expense, out of touch with most Israelis. The 60-year-old Sara Netanyahu in particular has been accused of excessive spending, using public money for her private, extravagant tastes and for abusive behavior toward her personal staff. These allegations earned her an image as the Israeli Imelda Marcos, the former Philippine first lady infamous for her collection of designer shoes.
In 2016, a court ruled Sara Netanyahu mistreated a housecleaner and awarded the man $42,000 in damages. Other employees have accused her of abuse, charges the Netanyahus reject. Another former housekeeper is currently suing Sara Netanyahu for $63,000 in damages over mistreatment and harassment.
However, Sara Netanyahu’s lawyer, Yossi Cohen, portrayed his client as a victim, saying she had “been put through hell” the past four years with a public shaming campaign that was due only to her public standing.
“Sara Netanyahu is today paying a heavy and painful personal cost to put an end to this witch hunt, and I hope that indeed this is the end of the story,” he said after the hearing.
Benjamin Netanyahu has stood by her, calling her a “true hero” and bemoaning how she had become a “punching bag” for their opponents.
A man being hailed as a martyr of the Hong Kong freedom movement was mourned at an impassioned memorial Sunday, with protesters accusing the city’s top official Carrie Lam of being responsible for his death.
“We have to mourn the martyr—he is a martyr. Carrie Lam should apologize to the martyr,” said Daphne Tsoi, a 28-year-old teacher.
The vigil was held at the so-called Lennon Wall—a part the Legislative Council building that became a focal point during the 2014 Umbrella Revolution, when protesters plastered the wall with brightly colored messages of hope and liberty.
Thousands of mourners bowed solemnly before holding up their mobile phones to create a sea of light all the way up Harcourt Road, in the shadow of Hong Kong’s Central Government Offices and legislature.
The dead man, surnamed Leung, 35, plunged to his death the night before after unfurling a banner on scaffolding at the Pacific Place mall in the city’s Admiralty district—the site of violent clashes with the police on Wednesday that left more than 80 injured.
His banner called for the withdrawal of a controversial extradition bill that would allow fugitives to be sent to the mainland for the first time. Lam has argued that the bill is necessary to stop Hong Kong from becoming a haven for criminals. But critics fear that Beijing will use the extradition provision to apprehend dissidents and political opponents, posing a serious threat to semi-autonomous Hong Kong’s way of life.
Leung’s death has galvanized massive protests against the bill and dangerously raised the stakes in the struggle between Hong Kong’s democracy movement and the Beijing backed administration.
Hundreds of thousands of people from all walks of life marched through the city Sunday, shutting down major thoroughfares and calling for Lam’s ouster. Thousands formed long queues at the site of Leung’s death during the day, leaving floral and origami tributes and saying prayers.
One of thousands of messages left outside Pacific Place said “I hope that in heaven, you can see the Hong Kong you’ve fought so hard for.” Others read: “We are grateful for the sacrifice you’ve made for this city. You will see us Hong Kong people continue fighting till the very end” and “The road further ahead—we Hong Kong people will walk it on your behalf.”
“We have to sustain his fight. He was very brave,” said Stephanie Tsang, 23, who attended the vigil with her mother. “All the people must stick together to protect each other and protect Hong Kong.”
Seated next to the Lennon Wall holding a paper cup with a candle inside, Anson L., 20, said that Leung “sacrificed his life,” adding “We are all deeply affected by this tragedy.”
—With reporting by Kamakshi Ayyar, Laignee Barron, Aria Hangyu Chen, Amy Gunia, Abhishyant Kidangoor, Hillary Leung, and Feliz Solomon / Hong Kong
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By Vaidya NathanNoble laureate and University of Chicago economist Ronald Coase said, 'If you torture the data long enough, it will confess to anything.' In a recent working paper, former Chief Economic Adviser Arvind Subramanian has cast aspersions on the GDP data of GoI. Prima facie, the analysis seems to be a case of torturing data enough to make the confession of an overestimation — which, euphemistically stated, is data mining to suit conclusions. So, do the conclusions truly hold?The confession that the paper extracts from the data is that there is a large GDP growth overestimation to the extent of 2.5% after the 2011-12 methodology revisions. The first set of evidence the paper presents, which perhaps in the author's view is the most compelling, is that correlations between select few indicators & GDP growth have flipped post-2011.Well, correlations have flipped in the 1980s-90s with or without methodology revisions. There were no GDP methodology revisions then. Moreover, several indicators were negatively correlated with GDP growth in the 1980s and 1990s as well. So, the claim that negative correlations between economic indicators and GDP growth are symptomatic of its measurement error is grossly misplaced.Subramanian chooses to split the empirical analysis as pre-2011 and post-2011. A closer assessment of the choice seems like data mining to get preferred inferences. When we split the data in the paper one year before or after — as pre-2010 and post-2010, or pre-2012 and post-2012 — we get identical results of both flipping and negative correlations, as in the paper.It seems that the author cherry-picks 2011 for empirical convenience, to make us believe that 2011 was indeed a point of inflection coinciding with the GDP methodology change. In layman terms, it is as if a doctor is trying to convince you of an ailment that you don't have, even when empirical medical tests suggest nothing abnormal. So, the doctor manufactures evidence to substantiate his preferred postulations. Another rudimentary, but important, error with the empirics of the paper is that the India sample size chosen is too small for any robust analysis. Consider the quantification of a large 2.5% overestimation of GDP growth and a too-good-to-be-true confidence interval of 2%. The 2.5% estimate sounds remarkable. But the number of data points used to estimate it is too small to have any statistical significance.Econometrics tells you that for estimates to have any reliability, you need to have at least 30 data points. The difference-in-difference estimate of a GDP growth overestimation of 2.5% econometrically is the difference of a mean measured using 10 data points (2002-11) and a mean measured using mere five data points (2012-16) — both use much less than even half of the minimum required data points for any statistical significance.The small standard error provides a seemingly credible 2% confidence interval of the estimate — a consequence of using cross-sectional data of 71 countries. If the empirical setting was such that roughly half of the sample was used as control group (baseline measure) and the other half as treatment group, the reliability of both the 2.5% estimate and its confidence interval would have been high.But the paper uses 70 countries as control and only one country (India) as treatment, something that is bad econometrics. Consequently, both the 2.5% GDP overestimation and its confidence interval are highly suspect.Subramanian makes self-contradictory claims and draws mathematically incorrect conclusions. For instance, the paper claims that import growth less export growth was 1.1% pre-2011 and –0.9% post-2011and that "such staggering declines are simply incompatible with stable underlying GDP growth". The evidence is correct, but the conclusion is not.If imports outpaced exports by 1.1% in pre-2011, the effect on GDP growth mathematically is negative, which is exactly the opposite of what the paper claims. And if exports outpaced imports by 0.9% post-2011, the effect on GDP growth is positive and, therefore, self-contradicts the paper's conclusions. These could be oversights, but they are far too many to ignore.India's GDP estimation process and methodology changes are not whimsical or capricious and have adequate checks and balances. The new GDP methodology is globally more comparable, as it takes into account far greater representation of the Indian economy and is, therefore, more reflective of the real state of the economy.So, academic papers such as these that doubt the improved methodology and then torture data to draw misleading empirical conclusions to sensationalise, don't help our economy's cause in any way. Nor do they advance scholarship.
NEW DELHI: The government will push central public sector enterprises (CPSEs) to either merge subsidiaries or list them. A senior government official said this may be kickstarted by coal sector behemoth Coal India (CIL) which has eight subsidiaries, of which five are profit-making."Unless there is a strategic need, either because the subsidiary is working in a different geography or is required for reasons of regulations or avoiding potential risks, the subsidiary should either be merged or listed," said the official, who did not wish to be identified.CIL has a mine planning subsidiary, besides eight others. 69816799 "All companies should unlock the value from their subsidiaries," said the official. Another govt official said CIL, through its administrative ministry, had resisted a similar proposal last year. "CIL believes all of its subsidiaries are strategic, and it flagged risks such as labour issues," said the official. He said the government may be able to push some CPSEs to merge or close their loss-making subsidiaries, he said.As per the latest data there are around 120 subsidiaries of 169 CPSEs and most of them are loss-making enterprises.Some experts say the move may benefit all companies, including government-owned. "Listing will help raise resources for the holding firm, find better valuation for the subsidiary and also fetch better dividends to the government," said MP Shorawala, a former independent director with Concor."There could be a possibility that the government may identify subsidiaries as non-core assets, leaving little room for CPSEs to either merge or list," said Shorawala.
New Delhi: The ongoing trade war between the US & China offers an opportunity to India for boosting exports of as many 350 products such as chemicals and granite to these countries, a study by the Commerce Ministry has said. The identification of these products is part of a study carried out by the ministry which states that the ongoing tariff or customs duties war between the US and China proves a big window of opportunity for enhancing India's exports to these two nations. Both the US and China are imposing heavy import duties on each other's products, which has triggered a trade war kind of situation. According to the study, as much 151 domestic products including diesel, X-ray tubes and certain chemicals have an outright advantage to displace the US exports to China. Similarly, 203 Indian goods like rubber and graphite electrodes have the advantage to displace Chinese exports to the US. It said that the specific products in which India can potentially expand exports to China immediately based on its strengths and available market access in the neighbouring country and also those in which concerted efforts need to be made to acquire market access are being shared with the line ministries. The ongoing trade war may bring about a shift in the global trading patterns due to spillover effects and displacement of the bilaterally traded commodities to other countries, it said. The Indian products which can tap the Chinese market include copper ores, rubber, paper/paperboard, equipment for transmission voice/data in a wired network, tunes and pipes. Similarly, domestic goods which can grab exports opportunities in the US market include industrial valves, vulcanised rubber, carbon or graphite electrodes and natural honey. Increasing exports would help India narrow the widening trade deficit with China, which stood at USD 50.12 billion during April-February 2018-19. Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) President Ganesh Kumar Gupta said that the trade war between the US and China is benefitting India. He has said that India's exports to the US went up by 11.2 per cent in 2018 and to China by 31.4 per cent in the same year. Echoing the views, Ludhiana-based exporter and former FIEO president S C Ralhan said enormous opportunities are there in the engineering and machinery sector in both the countries and "we have to tap that".
The CEO of Boeing says the company made a ``mistake'' in handling a problematic cockpit warning system in 737 Max jets before two deadly crashes of the top-selling plane.Chief Executive Dennis Muilenburg told reporters in Paris on Sunday that Boeing's communication ``was not consistent'' and that's ``unacceptable.''The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has faulted Boeing for not telling regulators for more than year that a safety indicator in the Max cockpit didn't work.Pilots are angry the company didn't tell them about the new software that's been implicated in the crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia that killed 346 people.Muilenburg promised ``transparency'' as Boeing tries to get the grounded model back in flight.Speaking ahead of the Paris Air Show, Muilenburg said Boeing is facing the event with ``humility'' and focused on rebuilding trust.
SpiceJet chairman Ajay Singh has replaced Jet Airways' Naresh Goyal on the board of governors at IATA — an achievement, considering his carrier joined the airline group only three months ago. On the sidelines of IATA AGM in Seoul, Singh told Mihir Mishra that Jet's demise should be a wake-up call for the Indian aviation industry reeling under high costs, which makes business unsustainable in the long-run. He expects the new government to address those concerns. Edited excerpts:India has returned the same government to the Centre, which is aware of the problems with the sector. What are your expectations from the government?I think it is wonderful for the country that it's a full majority government that will provide stability for the next five years. Steps need to be taken to make India an aviation superpower in future. We need to build global aviation hubs in our country and global airlines in our country that can rival the Emirates and the Singapore Airlines of the world.We need to connect our country within and also to the outer world and connect smaller cities of the country to the globe. We need to have a policy that encourages Indian carriers to fly long-haul.How do you think that can be achieved?We need to look at the cost structure of Indian aviation, which is probably the biggest piece. There are issues on double taxation, certain duty on import of spares. No country charges import duty on spares. We need to benchmark that to the rest of the world. We need to correct that. If all the leading aviation markets do not pay tax on aviation fuel then we have to find a structure, where we are not paying tax as well. If airport charges are low in various global hubs, then we need to keep our charges low to make global hubs. When you want to create global aviation hubs, you have to give a visa-free stimulus to bring in people. With the right rules, Indian aviation will perform because, inherently, we have a massive domestic market.But we also have a situation where the oldest private airline is going bust. How do you explain that paradox?Yes! It's a great pity. I think an iconic brand like Jet Airways shutting down should be an eye-opener for all of us. We need to see what happened and a part of this has to do with the structure of tax that we have imposed on the sector. Of course, a part of it is also that they had a higher cost structure than others.As a consequence, they lost out when they could not raise the yields to meet their cost. But at least, a part of the blame does lie with the tax structure and regulatory process we have in place. We need to understand that flying is not only for the rich — and schemes like UDAN and others have proved that — and should not be taxed heavily.I think this government is aware of these issues and they made some attempts in the previous term and with a strong majority now, we should see some positive steps.While it is unfortunate, does Jet's demise help its competitor in the Indian market, which was struggling with high capacity?Look, temporarily, it helps other players. It helps increase yields, bring more balance in terms of demand and supply. For an airline like us, it helps expand in a short period of time.But ultimately, these are short-term positives and we need to look at a longer term picture and for the whole sector to be healthy and no accidents like Kingfisher and Jet.Jet's demise created a void in medium and long-haul international flying. Do you see an opportunity here?I think it is bigger than Jet demise. Indian carriers will ultimately have to look at that space (low-cost long-haul market) because if we need to create hubs in India, Indian carriers will have to fly Indian passengers to destinations in Western Europe, the Americas, far-East and Australia and so on and so forth. It has to happen. It cannot only be Air India doing it; others will have to join the party. It will happen, but there will be a different approach to it. Some people will fly long-haul, while others would look at longer range narrow-body planes and fly one stop. But it will happen.The first stint of the Modi government saw no new foreign flights to West Asian and South East Asian destinations, as airlines like yours objected. Will you continue to object to any new flying rights?As you know, traffic rights have been given indiscriminately to countries, which have used those rights to build their own hubs at India's expense. And that certainly is not in India's interest. You know, to export the traffic to the Middle-Eastern or far Eastern hubs and distributing it rather than India distributing it cannot be in India's interest. We would certainly urge the government to adopt the policy of 'India first' and help build Indian hubs and Indian carriers. I think it will be a great shame if a country of 1.3 billion does not use its strength and build its own hubs and international airlines.We recently saw Naresh Goyal not being allowed to leave the country. Do you look at such cases as hounding and anti-industry?Look, I can not comment on that because I do not know the facts. In general, I think the government needs to create an enabling environment for businesses to flourish. And it is important for the private sector to invest and banks to lend. A lot of capital has, however, dried up in the recent times. And I think the government needs to create an environment, where that capital starts to flow again.If you need to create employment and grow at 8-10% for the next several years, then you have to create a more conducive environment. Amongst the things that need to be done is also reduction of regulation. Part of the American growth story in recent times has been not only tax cuts but that they have deregulated. We need to simplify our processes and our system.You are offering business class on the aircraft that were earlier used by Jet Airways? Would you like to go ahead with the same arrangement?We do not know, as of now. We took two-class (business and economy) aircraft from Jet Airways and did not have time to reconfigure them. Since we had two-class aircraft we decided to experiment with it and will take a call after 3-4 months when we have enough data.In many instances, the business class of SpiceJet is much lower priced than Air India and Vistara.We had lesser time to sell it and were introducing a new product. But if you get a chance to fly SpiceJet's business class, it's top-of-the-line product.Many say the biggest reason behind the success of low-cost models, like IndiGo, is that there is no experiment with the product…I do not think that is true. As long as you can keep your cost structure right, you need to experiment. Some experiments will work, some would not. Ultimately, the idea is to be profitable and that is what our focus would be.
NEW DELHI: India cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni has returned to the soft beverage turf, this time to endorse Powerade, the just-launched global sports drink from Coca-Cola. The three year-deal is estimated at close to Rs 15 crore, said two executives with knowledge of the matter.Sports marketing and talent management firm Rhiti Group chairman Arun Pandey, who represents one of India's most successful captains, confirmed the deal but declined to comment on financials."MS Dhoni has signed a multi-year endorsement deal with Coca-Cola's Powerade. He has over 30 brand associations presently," Pandey said.A Coca-Cola spokesperson could not be reached for comment.In 2016, Coca-Cola's rival PepsiCo and Dhoni had ended their 11-year highprofile association, which had seen the cricketer endorse both Pepsi Cola and Lay's chips, including being the face of big campaigns such as 'Oh Yes Abhi' and 'Change The Game'.The relatively smaller functional sports drinks market is gaining popularity and according to one of the officials mentioned above, Coca-Cola has planned a multimedia campaign featuring Dhoni and Powerade, which competes directly with PepsiCo's Gatorade.The 37-year-old India wicket keeperbatsman's brand value and endorsements have seen a resurgence over the past two years, after a decline soon after he quit Test cricket in 2014.Industry experts are of the opinion that Dhoni, widely believed to be playing his last World Cup, is a brand that has revived with a differentiated niche that contrasts with that of his successor."MSD is now the sedate, suave persona of Indian cricket — to that extent he is the antithesis of Virat Kohli," said brand specialist and consultant Harish Bijoor."There are brands that need both these types of personas—brash and aggressive, and suave and the silent. MSD fits in with the latter."A 2018 celebrity brand valuation report by global valuation and corporate finance advisory firm Duff & Phelps estimated Dhoni's brand value at $26.9 million, 12th in terms of celebrity brand value and the only sportsman after Kohli in the top dozen. ET reported in 2017 that PepsiCo and Kohli had parted ways, ending a six-year endorsement association amid concerns expressed by the star about promoting products that go against his ideals of fitness.69818495 On average, Dhoni who captained the Indian team to World Cup victory in 2011, is learnt to charge about Rs 5-8 crore a year for endorsements, depending on the brand's requirement and deliverables. He also led the Indian team to victory at the T20 World Cup in 2007. This year, the cricketer has so far signed endorsement deals with bus-ticketing platform major red-Bus, oral care maker Colgate and now Powerade.Last year, he signed more than 10 endorsement deals including Mastercard, BharatMatrimony, German cybersecurity company WardWiz, fantasy sports platform Dream11, Snickers chocolates, online pharmacy Netmeds, domain registrar and web hosting company GoDaddy, luxury watch Panerai, and automotive batteries and solar applications brand LivFast.He also endorses his own sportswear brand Seven promoted by Rhiti Sports launched in February 2016, and a chain of gyms by the name of SportsFit World, which he started in 2012.
By Nadeem HamidSaudi Arabia is committed to selling shares in Saudi Aramco as soon as next year, Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman said in an interview with the Saudi-owned Ahsarq Al Awsat newspaper."We are committed to the Aramco IPO, given the proper circumstances and the right time, and as I said before I expect it will be between 2020 and early 2021," the crown prince told the newspaper.In the wide ranging interview with the Saudi-owned newspaper, the crown prince also commented on recent attacks on oil tankers near the Strait of Hormuz and Saudi Arabia's 2030 development goals.Here are the highlights from the interview:Attacks against tankers, oil facilities and the Abha airport affirm Saudi Arabia's call for the global community to take a firm stance against Iran."The kingdom does not seek war in the region, but will not hesitate in dealing with any threats towards our people, sovereignty, unity and vital interests."Iran didn't respect the Japanese prime minister's efforts, and attacked the tankers while he was still a guest in Tehran, the crown prince said.Saudi Arabia holds its relationship with the U.S. in the highest regard because it is a key factor in the region's security and stability, and that bond won't be affected by media campaigns.Saudi Arabia supported all efforts to reach a political solution in Yemen, but the Houthis would rather put Iran's interests before Yemen and its people.The Kingdom won't tolerate the presence of militias on its borders.Saudi Arabia is committed to supporting the Sudan and its people.The Kingdom has begun implementing its 2030 vision in different aspects, and is already seeing results on the ground.
The 2019-20 Budget may consider re-introduction of tax-free bonds to raise capital for the infrastructure projects, sources said.Introduction of tax-free bonds to boost investment is a usual way for raising funds by infra companies or PSUs, sources said. If that happens, the National Highway Authority of India could be an immediate beneficiary.If one sector which is likely to get maximum Budget focus after social sectors in the upcoming Budget, it is infrastructure, said the sources. In infra, it is the highways where the Government had increased allocation by 6 per cent and had set aside Rs 83,000 crore for 2019-20 interim Budget.The highways sector has been one of the best performing areas of the government with the expenditure rising from Rs 34,345.2 crore in 2014-15 to Rs 78,625 crore in 2018-19. The February Interim Budget had allocated the highest-ever budgetary support of Rs 83,016 crore to the highways sector, but it was less by Rs 2,000 crore of the 2018-19 Budget allocation.Infra majors can hope Budget to approve fresh issue of tax free bonds to raise capital. NHAI Chairman N.N. Sinha said the Road Transport and Highways Ministry has asked for Rs 37,000 crore for the 2019-20.Sources said government needs capital in the infra sector to revive the economy and tackle unemployment. With tax revenues slow, the funds have to be raised from market, so, tax-free bonds are a good option.Tax-free bonds which the government enterprises issue are attractive to investors as they offer a fixed interest rate and hence is a low-risk investment avenue. Its most attractive feature is absolute tax exemption as per Section 10 of the Income Tax Act.The tax-free bonds generally have a long-term maturity of typically ten years or more and Government invests the money collected from these bonds in infrastructure and housing projects. Qualified institutional investors such as trusts, co-operatives and regional banks and corporates are regular investors in tax-free bonds. Individuals, including HUF members and NRIs as well as high net-worth individuals, often choose this to diversify their portfolio.There are many public undertakings that offer and issue tax-free bonds. National Highway Authority of India, NTPC Limited and Indian Railways, Rural Electrification Corporation, Housing and Urban Development Corporation, Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency, Rural Electrification Limited and Power Finance Corporation are regular issuers of tax-free bonds.NHAI has no less than 10 bond issues active in the market. Coupon rates typically vary from 7.14% to 8.3%. The tenures are of the order of five or ten or fifteen years. Some are due to mature in January 2022 while others as late as 2031. All have face value of Rs 1,000 and all are trading at premium ranging from 10 per cent to 20 per cent.NHAI bonds are active in the secondary market and are readily available.
By Nishant AroraNEW DELHI: Be honest and ask yourself: Would you buy a smartphone that neither supports Android operating system and Google apps nor comes pre-installed with Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram? This is the scenario which Huawei (and its sub-brand Honor) smartphones stare at in the near future - and an imminent fall if the issue does not get resolved in the next one-two quarters.Although the Chinese communications giant aims to launch its own operating system called "Hongmeng" to replace the Android OS on its smartphones but 'abhi Dilli door hai' as the OS has to see the light of the day and then users' approval, which is the most critical part.The absence of apps like Facebook or WhatsApp that truly define user experiences is a double whammy for Huawei.Currently the second largest smartphone player in the world (powered by stupendous growth in non-US regions like Europe and Asia), Huawei has sensed the tough road ahead. A recent report in Nikkei Asian Review claimed that Huawei has "downgraded its forecast for total smartphone shipments in the second half of 2019 by about 20 per cent to 30 per cent from the previous estimate".According to Navkendar Singh, Research Director, Devices and Ecosystem, India and South Asia, IDC, almost half of Huawei's smartphone volumes come from outside China with its wide smartphone portfolio which runs on Android with Google Mobile Services (GMS) - a collection of Google applications and application programming interfaces (APIs) that help support functionality across devices."China has its own ecosystem of apps which are hugely popular but only in China. Outside it, almost all popular Android apps are from Google or from US-based companies. These apps are the heart of experience of any smartphone user these days," Singh told."Without these apps present on its own OS, it will be very very tough for Huawei to pull in demand for its phones running on its own OS," he added.Sandwiched between the ongoing US-China trade war, Chinese telecom equipment major Huawei is frantically looking to salvage its prestige and fast cover the lost ground.The company is also looking at the Indian smartphone market which has touched 450 million smartphone users and has a great potential to grow."In India, they have never been really able to scale up to be a major player. But considering the growth potential in India, the decision by Google and Facebook has put a spanner in the Huawei's possible aggressive plans for the country as the next growth market in next two-three years outside of China," Singh told IANS.Huawei pipped Apple as the second largest smartphone seller in the first quarter of 2019 after Samsung. It clocked 17 per cent market share in the global smartphone market, according to Counterpoint Research.The Chinese tech giant, meanwhile, has denied reports that it has cut down smartphone manufacturing.The company, however, is reassessing its target to become the world's top-selling smartphone vendor by 2020, after the US trade ban was put in place.On May 15, US President Donald Trump effectively banned Huawei with a national security order.Huawei has filed a motion in a US court challenging the constitutionality of the US President Donald Trump's order to ban it.According to reports, Google has also discussed with the US government about an exemption from the Huawei ban, saying it is bad for the company's technology business.Despite all this, there is no respite seen for Huawei in the near future and the company is likely to witness its smartphone business dwindle.Unless, a miracle happens.(Nishant Arora can be contacted at nishant.a@ians.in)
384 trees collapse in only four days in Mumbai In the monsoon of 2018, between June and September, as many as 1,007 tree/branch collapse incidents were reported and six people had died
BMC clears way for nullahs, razes 200 structures Commissioner Praveen Pardeshi initiates action in line with Disaster Management Act, 2005 that provides necessary powers to municipal body
Does it matter to us if poor people die? As poor are too busy surviving, they may fight short battles for their demands, but are not able to wedge a war to win their rights
Doctors to meet West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, strike may end A spokesperson of the joint forum of junior doctors says that the Chief Minister was free to decide the venue of the meeting but stressed that it should be held in the open
Indian Medical Association to go ahead with all-India strike, hospital OPDs to stay shut The IMA, however, says that casualty and emergency services will continue to function as usual
Mahanadi Coalfields to double output to 300 mtpa by 2026 MCL, a subsidiary of mining major Coal India Ltd, produced around 144 million tonne during 2018-19 and has set a target of 160 million tonne this fiscal.
PM Narendra Modi seeks cooperation in all-party meet, Opposition yet to make strategy Won't let government have free run during Budget Session, they say in reply
Monsoon hits North Bengal and Sikkim The Indian Meteorological Department says on Sunday that monsoon is expected to advance further up north as Cyclone Vayu loses intensity
