If Instagram is to be believed, then self care for women basically amounts to face masks and daily affirmation apps.
Hot take: Sex toys are the ultimate self-care purchase.
Orgasms release oxytocin, the anti-stress hormone that gets you warm and fuzzy when cuddling, while dopamine, a neurotransmitter that regulates sleep, also makes an appearance. It stands to reason, then, that "I need to get laid" is a thing that actually makes sense to say when you're having a rough week. Read more...
TL;DR: The Ninja Foodi can air fry and pressure cook, and the XL 8-quart model is on sale for $189 — that's 32% off and its lowest price ever at Amazon.
Instant Pot is no longer the lone contender in the Black Friday kitchen gadget war.
The Ninja Foodi seems like it has gained extra traction over the past year. Maybe it's because Instant Pot released an air fryer and people are realizing that the Foodi can do both without buying two different devices. It's going down.
Black Friday prices on both devices will have to be wildly low to beat some recent deals: The 8-quart Ninja Foodi is currently $189, which is $90 off and the cheapest it's ever been. That's such a good price that the 8-quart model is cheaper than the 6.5-quart. Read more...
Wellness is a buzzy word lately. Over the past few years, we’ve seen a surge in all things health, wellness, and spirituality. Juice bars are popping up, boutique studios are becoming more accessible, and essential oils are chilling us out. Self-care is becoming more of the norm too, but amidst all this hype, it can be challenging to find the right routine that promotes good exercise, sleep, vitals, and mindset. Read more...
With sport-specific settings, advanced training feedback, and a connected app, Garmin’s Forerunner 735XT Smartwatch is the perfect fitness companion for athletes.
Warranty: 1 year
Smartphone compatibility: Yes
Battery life: 1 day
Weight: 1.4 ounces
What you’ll get: A Garmin Forerunner 735XT Smartwatch, a charging/data clip, and a manual
The perfect midpoint between the Fitbit and Apple Watch, the Samsung Galaxy Fit is great for tracking your high-intensity activities and for managing your daily life.
Warranty: 1 year
Smartphone Compatibility: Yes
Battery Life: 7 days
Weight: 3.2 ounces
What you'll get: Samsung Galaxy Fit, charging cable, manuals
The Fitbit Versa is best for those who need some extra guidance in the gym, and thanks to its comprehensive array of on-screen workouts, you'll get exactly that.
Warranty: 1 year
Smartphone Compatibility: Yes
Battery Life: 4 days
Weight: 5.12 ounces
What you'll get: Fitbit Versa, charging cable, manuals
After Josh Sundquist lost his leg to childhood cancer, he went on to do, well... pretty much everything? He became a Paralympic ski racer, a motivational speaker, and a comedian. He also happens to be a top-notch Halloween costume architect.
This year, Sundquist dressed up as the thing you usually see right before you're about to watch an animated movie and cry for 90 minutes: The Pixar lamp — perhaps our greatest source of light in this dark, dark world.
In a video posted on his YouTube channel, you can see how Sundquist crafted his de-light-ful costume and view a montage of his incredible costumes of years' past, including a partially eaten gingerbread man, a flamingo, an iHop sign, and a Dairy Queen Blizzard. Read more...
The only thing more important to runners than their sneakers 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.
When shopping for a quality pair of headphones to wear while running, you'll want to look at a few key factors: Are they sweatproof/waterproof? Will they stay in your ears? Are the volume controls easily accessible? If you answer no to any of these questions, then you know the headphones aren't going to work. Read more...
Achieving a good night’s sleep isn’t always easy. Busy schedules, frequent stress, and bad rest environments can be culprits for sleep troubles. And it’s more common than you think.
According to the American Sleep Association, 50 to 70 million U.S. adults have a sleep disorder. If your sleepless nights are taking a toll on your health, it might be time for you to buy a new pillow.
Anyone who's watched The Office knows that it's funny as hell — so funny that sometimes the actors couldn't even make it through a scene without breaking character to laugh.
One of those unbearably comical scenes took place in the third episode of the series, titled "Health Care," where viewers find Dunder Mifflin Scranton in utter chaos after Michael asks Dwight to choose a health care plan with fewer benefits for his fellow employees.
On the latest episode of the Office Ladies podcast, Jenna Fisher and Angela Kinsey dish on all things "Health Care" and welcome special guest, Rainn Wilson (Dwight K. Schrute,) who reveals three words that the cast couldn't stop laughing over while filming: "Hot dog fingers." Read more...
Half of the Black Friday GIFs on Giphy (you know, the ones that let you watch someone get absolutely body checked on a loop) probably take place at Walmart, and that's because its Black Friday sales are some of the best every year. According to a Cyber Week 2019 survey conducted by BlackFriday.com, Walmart's Black Friday ad scan is the second-most anticipated ad scan losing only to Amazon. (Walmart also does free two-day and next-day shipping, BTW.)
Despite Walmart crowning itself "America's Best Toy Shop," its Black Friday deals will undoubtedly go far past Paw Patrol and that shark that, surprise, sings Baby Shark. Read more...
So you saved some money and are looking for a phone. Good. Here's one that costs $70,000.
Coming from Caviar, known for lavish iPhone makeovers, the new iPhone 11 Pro Discovery Solarius is as over-the-top as it gets. Its creation required half a kilogram of gold and 137 diamonds, says Caviar. On the back, nested in the middle of all that bling, is a luxury watch, complete with a tourbillon (one of the most expensive add-ons a timepiece can have). And within the watch face, there's a special, yellow diamond (or sun stone), which I presume is also very expensive.
The entire thing is meant to "symbolize the eternal life that Sun gives to our planet," but let's face it, the kind of person who would buy this sort of thing probably isn't interested in the symbolism. Read more...
TL;DR: Bring something new to the table (literally) with this food processor from Cuisinart — now $50 off the original price on Amazon, just $99.99.
Looking for a way to spice up your kitchen performance? Feel like it’s time to bring something new to the table (literally) and enhance your culinary prowess? While you could spend a bunch of money on cooking classes or funneling hours into watching YouTube tutorials, you could also just pick up a new tool that can bring some variety to your cooking without really having to do much more work.
Here’s an idea: Pick up a food processor. This one from Cuisinart is a whole $50 off on Amazon, and if you ask us, solid food is pretty overrated, anyway. Read more...
While the Porsche Taycan and Tesla Model S are constantly being compared to one another, they're actually very different cars.
And that is exactly what Top Gear's (quite thorough) comparison, released as a YouTube video on Wednesday, shows. The Taycan Turbo S is quicker (albeit by a fraction of a second), it handles better, and behaves better in corners. The Tesla Model S Performance is comfier, roomier, with a far bigger trunk and frunk, and — despite having fewer screens — offers better entertainment options.
In short, the Taycan is a better sports car, because it is a sports car, whereas the Model S is a better family sedan, because that's what it is. And let's not forget the price difference between these two: At $180,000, the top Taycan costs nearly double the price of the top Tesla Model S, which is $99,990. Read more...
Halloween is a time to receive staggering amounts of free candy, but it's also a surprisingly harrowing time for party foods.
Remember the peeled grape "eyeballs" in the lo-fi haunted houses of your youth? People love to make stuff like that on Halloween and then expect you to actually eat it. And for every delicious Reese's pumpkin in the world, there's a spongy, troubling Circus Peanut.
Here are 10 of the weirdest, most disturbing Halloween-ish foods we could find on the internet. If you want to throw a party with the theme "cursed," get all of them and assemble the most viscerally jarring party spread of all time. Read more...
The festive season is full of many wonderful traditions and fun activities, like drinking mulled wine, eating pigs in blankets, and other less tasty alternatives.
It's not all good though, because it's at this time of year that we get those super-fun-but-super-hard-to-shop-for gift exchanges. There's normally some sort of draw in which you get someone from the office that you've never actually met, and there's usually a really restrictive price limit.
Sure, you can find something under the limit in no time, but is your money really worth a gag gift that will be re-gifted next year? It can feel almost impossible to find something cheap and useful for a small fee, but this is where we can help. Read more...
We know you're probably getting some pretty conflicting messages, and you probably don't know what to believe. For the most part, we've been reminding you to wait until Black Friday for the best deals, but then sometimes we say the opposite.
We want to apologise for the lack of clarity, but deals don't always make sense. Yes, there are going to be loads of great Black Friday deals in November, but that doesn't mean the world stops spinning until then.
TL;DR: Multiple portable speakers are on sale at Amazon, saving you up to £112 on list price.
Portable speakers are wonderful little devices that allow you the freedom to take the party wherever you go.
We're not recommending that you crank the tunes in public places whenever you please, because people will quickly start to hate you, but feel free to bring these speakers with you when you and your friends are out and about. Everything is better with a little music.
When it comes to picking the right portable speaker for you, there are loads of options to consider from some of the biggest audio brands. The likes of Sony, Bose, and Ultimate Ears all have portable devices, and if you want some reassurance that you're getting a high quality product, we recommend sticking to these guys. Read more...
72 female politicians in the UK have written an open letter to Meghan Markle pledging their solidarity with her as she and Prince Harry take a stand against several British media outlets.
Holly Lynch MP — Labour MP for Halifax — tweeted an image of the letter, which was signed by cross-party politicians including MPs Diane Abbott, Jess Phillips, Yvette Cooper, Margaret Hodge, among others
"As women MPs of all political persuasions, we wanted to express our solidarity with you in taking a stand against the ofter distasteful and misleading nature of the stories printed in a number of our national newspapers concerning you, your character, and your family," the letter begins. "On occasions, stories and headlines have represented an invasion of your privacy and have sought to cast aspersions about your character, without any good reasons as far as we can see." Read more...
The Late Show's Stephen Colbert has unpacked the efforts of Donald Trump and his allies, who are seeking to discredit the testimony of Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, first-hand witness to the president's phone call with President Zelenskiy of Ukraine.
Trump's allies have not only attacked Vindman's character and questioned his patriotism (even though he's a decorated U.S. lieutenant colonel), but as Colbert pointed out, Vindman's testimony contradicts that of Gordon Sondland, ambassador to the European Union, who told House investigators that "no one had raised concerns" about the president's actions. Read more...
"What is more likely?" asks Noah. "The fact that these people are brainwashed, or the fact that in America, you have to vote for the system that gives you the best chance?
"You only have two choices, and that does make it weird. But you only have two choices and if you're a black person you go well, I'm going to vote for the choice that gives me the best chance." Read more...
Movies very rarely please everybody, but it sounds like Doctor Sleep director Mike Flanagan may have come pretty close.
As lead actor Ewan McGregor explains in the clip above, Stanley Kubrick's iconic adaptation of The Shining was a movie which Stephen King famously didn't like — but the sequel (which is also based on a book by King) is a different story entirely.
"Mike managed to make this sequel, and my only concern about it was how are you gonna please both of these camps?" McGregor told Jimmy Kimmel on Tuesday.
"But he does it very cleverly and very beautifully... he does something brilliant with the ending of our film that will appease the Stephen King fans who were aggrieved with Kubrick." Read more...
TL;DR: Create a baby wishlist on Amazon, get a free welcome gift, and save up to 20% on baby items.
Black Friday is the best time of year to shop for everything from 4K TVs to smart speakers. If you have resisted the urge to shop all year, then you'll reap the rewards in November, in the form of big savings.
Whilst everyone knows that you can bag great tech bargains during the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales, it's not all about gadgets. You can also pick up great deals on travel, fashion, and even baby items.
Buying for your baby can be expensive, so it pays to get organised before Black Friday. The best way you can prepare for the sales is by creating a baby wishlist on Amazon. You can easily add items from any website for one easy to manage wishlist using the Amazon Assistant, and save up to 20% on your chosen products. Read more...
You can quite easily spend well over £100 on an electric toothbrush, and get everything from artificial intelligence to wireless charging capabilities. This is all great, but most shoppers just want something that works, without all the fuss.
That's exactly what you get with the Philips Sonicare EasyClean electric toothbrush. This device uses sonic technology to remove twice as much plaque as a manual brush, with a slim handle for comfort and maneuverability, and a two-minute smart timer to ensure you hit the recommended brushing time. Read more...
There's a lot of talk about The Morning Show, the anticipated (and topical) Apple TV+ series starring Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Aniston, and Steve Carell, which follows a morning show in which one of the male stars is accused of sexual harassment.
And a new clip has us even more pumped for the show's premiere, shared by Witherspoon with Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show on Tuesday.
After playing a freaky Halloween game, the pair chatted about both of their book clubs, not getting TikTok, and the possibility of a third season of Big Little Lies (don't get too excited just yet, but still...). Read more...
Consider this your lucky day if you're shopping for deals on 4K TVs, electric toothbrushes, video games, or smart scales. We've found the best deals on all of these and more, with all the biggest brands included in this list.
You can save on top brands like Samsung, Panasonic, LG, Toshiba, Microsoft, and some lesser known names. We have lined up deals on 1byone, Eufy, Lumie, and Beurer, to give you a taste of something new.
These are the best deals from across the internet for Oct. 30.
Best of the best
This selection of the very best deals includes Xbox games, Lovehoney costumes, Philips lights, and much more. Read more...
This year's Halloween Google Doodle is a real hoot, especially if you like animals.
Google's annual tradition continues with another fun, festive, and interactive homepage doodle just in time for Oct. 31. But this year, Google got some guidance from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
To make its "trick or treat" game extra exciting, the Google Doodle allows users to click on different doors, which reveal a variety of Halloween-related animals. Once you choose a door you have the option to "trick" or "treat." In this case, a "trick" will give you an exciting animal animation, complete with sound. And a "treat" will show you some interesting facts about the animal you selected. Read more...
In the clip above, the Hollywood star gets lured into a Fight Club skit by a gleeful Corden, only to end up knocking the host out in sheer frustration — much to the cheers and applause of his writing staff. Read more...
David Harbour is an accomplished, professional actor with 17 years' experience in the business.
But that doesn't mean he can make it through a scene where he's required to say the word "grandma" without totally cracking up.
To celebrate hitting the 500,000 follower mark on Twitter, the official Stranger Things writers' account shared a clip that they described as "the Duffers' favorite bloop from s3."
Without spoiling anything, it's from the scene in which Hopper tries to get rid of Mike, who he's worried is spending too much time with Eleven.
oh wow i can’t believe we get to share all the love and laughter with 500,000 of you!!
it’s been a fun ride and y’all are so amazing that we’re going to celebrate with the Duffers’ favorite bloop from s3!
In Mashable’s series Wasted, we dig into the myriad ways we’re trashing our planet. Because it’s time to sober up.
A package with no note, no return address, and nothing in it but a plastic container that once housed a vape cartridge arrived at a cannabis company in Northern California the other day.
The word had gotten out.
CannaCraft, which owns brands like Care by Design, is collecting plastic waste from weed packaging to convert into fuel to power its delivery trucks. It isn't the only business intrigued by recycling plastic in this way — far from it. A number of high-profile companies like Delta, UK grocery store chain Tesco, and global behemoth Dow Chemical are also investing in innovative plastic recycling efforts. Read more...
There are few things more frustrating than reaching storage capacity on your gaming console. With games getting bigger and bigger, it's nearly impossible to fit everything you wish on the included hard drives for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Seriously, Grand Theft Auto V alone takes up over 50GB, even if you have the disc. So, you'll definitely want to increase your storage space sooner rather than later.
If you're looking for more space for fun on your PS4 or Xbox One, look no further than Fantom Drives. These external storage hubs give you room for everything you need – and then some. Plus, they're currently on sale and you can slash up to 29% off. Read more...
There have been a handful of Lucasfilm-licensed books and comics that pick up a story immediately after the end of a particular Star Wars movie. But never have they done so with the latest movie in the Skywalker saga. Fans have never been in uncharted territory with a book, able to learn what happened to our heroes after the credits rolled, secure in the knowledge that the story is on the same official storytelling level as the movies.
That changes with the publication of Resistance Reborn. This novel, by award-winning speculative fiction newcomer Rebecca Roanhorse, picks up five minutes after the end of 2017's The Last Jedi. We already know that the on-screen successor to that film, The Rise of Skywalker, will pick up more than a year after the events of Jedi. So there's more than enough space in time to whet our appetite, prepare us for what's coming, and rendezvous with some old friends along the way who may or may not make it into the final episode. Read more...
There was a statistic going around that said one in six millennials have at least $100,000 saved. The reactions were mostly confusion and indignation. Is one in six such an impossible statistic? Short answer: No.
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Two Nationals coaches had to physically restrain Martinez after the umpires made a controversial runner interference call during Game 6 of the World Series.
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Roaring up to the Ki-Be Red Apple Market in a Dodge pickup truck, Dalton Pullum and Matthew Phalen had no idea they were about to watch a poorly conceived murder plot unravel before their eyes.
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Removed from the "Metal Gear" series, Hideo Kojima and his team have made an entirely new (and very weird) video game and/or genre. "Death Stranding" launches exclusively on the PS4 on November 8th.
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During World War II, the American government encouraged hitchhiking to ration gas. But as the years went on, hitchhiking largely disappeared from the American landscape. What happened?
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Deep into Queens, there's a business operating 24 hours a day that most wouldn't expect. But in the city that never sleeps, should you expect anything else?
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GRID is the ultra-slim wallet that's made of two aluminum plates. Despite its size, it can still carry up to 12 cards and has a money clip for your cash. Ditch the bulk, save 61 percent off a GRID Wallet when you get it for $25.
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You don't head into a basic cable superhero show expecting to see HBO or Hollywood-caliber special effects. You do expect, however, to see something better than late-90s "Power Rangers" episodes.
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Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, the National Security Council official in charge of Ukraine policy, told impeachment investigators he tried to make changes to the transcript of a call between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
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Entertaining kids with inflated animals is tough — and when you're a math-team nerd competing for gigs against your charismatic crush, it can blow up your entire life.
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Even in a city building as quickly, and as much, as Dubai, the Museum of the Future is known as one of the most challenging construction projects ever attempted.
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With "World of Warcraft Classic," the game's creators are counting on the power of nostalgia to bring players back to the once-popular game. Will it work?
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The Rio Grande Gorge Bridge in Taos, New Mexico has one the highest bridge suicide rates per capita in the country. But with few answers and even fewer resources, the town is hoping the burgeoning field of "emotional architecture" can help it prevent jumpers from taking their lives.
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The seagulls stamp on the ground repeatedly, which seems to convince worms that its raining and that they should squirm above ground — into the seagull's waiting beak.
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The "Game of Thrones" prequel pilot starring Naomi Watts is not going to series at HBO, Variety has confirmed with sources. The cast and crew of the pilot were recently informed that HBO had passed on the project.
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Ukraine's Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko attends a news conference with his Netherlands' counterpart Stef Blok in Kiev, Ukraine October 10, 2019. REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko/File Photo
MARIUPOL, Ukraine (Reuters) - Ukrainian officials will not testify in the U.S. Congress in the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump because Kiev does not want to get involved in the internal affairs of another country, Ukraine's foreign minister said on Tuesday.
"We don't have anything to do with this at all," Vadym Prystaiko told reporters on the sidelines of an investment conference in the port city of Mariupol. "We won't go there, we won't comment."
Democrats are investigating whether there are grounds to impeach Trump over his request to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to investigate a domestic political rival, former Vice President Joe Biden. Biden is a front-runner for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination.
WNU Editor: As I said in a previous post. Living in the former Soviet Union we would call this impeachment inquiry a "show trial". My fellow Ukrainians also know what a "show trial" is, and they see this impeachment inquiry as a show trial that has a fixed outcome. Bottom line. The Ukraine government wants no part of this impeachment inquiry, and they will not assist in anyway the Democrats in their proceedings. They see President Trump as a close ally (which he is), and they do not share the Democrats view that they were under pressure by President Trump to investigate the Bidens. But while many Ukrainians have a favourable view of President Trump, many (if not all of them) see the Biden family as a symbol of corruption and on how outsiders took advantage of Ukraine in the past. They also know that Biden is a Democrat who has ties to the people who are pushing to impeach President Trump, and that is another reason on why they want no part of this impeachment process.
Thousands of Chileans have taken to the streets nationwide for an 11th day of demonstrations against embattled President Pinera and calling for economic and political changehttps://t.co/Lt3SSDmkHp
The Getty Center stands intact behind a fire-ravaged hillside in Mandeville Canyon in Los Angeles.
More than 1,000 firefighters battled the wind-driven blaze near the renowned Getty Center, scorching some 600 acres (240 hectares) and sending people fleeing in the dark pic.twitter.com/ITW3TMd3Go
More in-depth and alarming reporting on the climate crisis from @NYTClimate: Some 150 million people are now living on land that will be below the high-tide line by midcentury. By @DeniseDSLu & @cflavhttps://t.co/GrD7Q1fGaN
A former soldier from Nepal has climbed the world's 14 highest peaks in just over six months, smashing the previous record by over 7 years. https://t.co/eiHc0RcQsR
* White House blasted the Democrats' impeachment resolution * It's 'an illegitimate sham ... without any due process for the President,' White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said in a statement * House Democrats released their impeachment resolution on Tuesday that outlines the next stage of the investigation into Donald Trump * It includes public hearings and gives Republicans limited power to call witnesses * Power is concentrated in hands on Intel Committee Chair Adam Schiff * He will get to approve Republican witnesses and their requests for subpoena * After Intel finishes its investigation, it will write a public report * Matter then goes to Judiciary panel which writes articles of impeachment * Trump and his lawyer cannot participate in process until that final stage * House votes on resolution on Thursday, which is Halloween
The White House blasted the Democrats' resolution that outlines the next steps in the impeachment inquiry as 'an illegitimate sham' that lacks 'any due process' for Donald Trump.
White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham on Tuesday complained about how late in the process the president's attorneys are allowed to participate and points out the 'rules' regarding that role 'haven't been written.'
The resolution, released by House Democrats and Speaker Nancy Pelosi Tuesday afternoon, lays out the days ahead in the investigation. It includes public hearings, a written report on the findings and gives Republicans limited power to call witnesses.
Lacking from the eight-page document is a timeline for when the process will move to each step and when it expects to be concluded.
WNU Editor: House Speaker Pelosi is saying that Thursday's vote is not on an impeachment inquiry and I can see why. These procedures are not the same ones used in the Nixon and Clinton impeachment hearings. What's my take. Living in the former Soviet Union we called this a show trial.
More News On U.S. Congressional Democrats Unveil Procedures For President Trump's "Impeachment Inquiry"
People and demonstrators run as a riot police vehicle uses a water cannon during a protest against Chile's government in Santiago, Chile October 29. REUTERS/Henry Romero
Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, the National Security Council's top Ukraine expert, told House impeachment investigators on Tuesday that the White House transcript of the July call between President Trump and Ukraine's president was 'mostly accurate' but missed key words or crucial phrases that he tried – and failed – to have corrected.
Such omissions, Vindman said, included Trump's proclamation that there were recordings of former Vice President Joe Biden discussing Ukrainian corruption, and the country's president, Volodymyr Zelensky, directly mentioning the energy company who employed Hunter Biden to its board, Burisma Holdings.
WNU Editor: The above headline implies one thing, but when you read into the story you find the following ....
.... Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, the National Security Council's top Ukraine expert, told House impeachment investigators on Tuesday that the White House transcript of the July call between President Trump and Ukraine's president was 'mostly accurate' but missed key words or crucial phrases that he tried – and failed – to have corrected.
So if the phone call was "mostly accurate", why the fuss?
Here is my perspective as someone who has been involved in translation. When translating a discussion we always find ourselves in a situation where some words and phrases are interpreted differently by different people. It is even more difficult when English is being used but it is not the translator's first language .... as in my case (Russian is my first language), or in the case of Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman (his first language is Ukrainian). It is why translating instantaneously is always difficult, and why we can never be 100% accurate. Personally, I have seen over the years my fair share of people becoming very frustrated at the translator when they felt that their remarks were not being conveyed properly. Here is another point. When I was translating and/or listening into a conversation where translation was an integral part of the discussion, I can never remember later on the precise details on what was discussed (just the generalities). After-all, my focus was on translating and not remembering precisely what was discussed. But somehow Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman did remember precise details? It makes me wonder if he really did say that what the media is telling us he said. And that is why I find the media reports on Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman's testimony questionable. This testimony was held behind closed doors for ten hours, and what we are hearing from the media are just leaks that they got from Democrats on what they want us to hear. Can that be accurate? In my book the answer is no.
More News On The National Security Council's Top Ukraine Expert Testifying That President Trump's Ukraine Phone Call Raised National Security Concerns
Men suspected of being affiliated with ISIS gather in a prison cell in northeastern Syrian city of Hasakeh on October 26. An AFP team was given rare access to one of the crowded detention facilities where Kurdish forces are holding Islamic State group suspects
* A rare look inside one of the crowded detention facilities in northeastern Syria where ISIS suspects are held * Kurdish authorities say 50 nationalities represented in Kurdish-run prisons where over 12,000 suspects held * The condition of the wounded speaks of intensity of fighting that led to IS's final territorial defeat in March * Some of the detainees are teenagers, and none of them have been under the sun even once in months or more * One cell is reserved for children who were enlisted and trained as IS fighters, dubbed 'cubs of the Caliphate'
Behind the steel door, the cell is as packed as their eyes are empty - haggard, scrawny prisoners in orange jumpsuits lying head-to-toe cover every inch of floor space.
An AFP team was given rare access to one of the crowded detention facilities in northeastern Syria where Kurdish forces are holding Islamic State group (IS) suspects.
As a Turkish offensive launched against Kurdish forces earlier this month wreaks chaos in the area, just how solid such doors will be is a question keeping the world on edge.
WNU Editor: I do not what is more disturbing. The many graphic pictures of these prisoners in this Daily Mail post, or that I have zero sympathy for these men.
Democrats are furious they were not told ahead of time about the raid that killed ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and are now pressing for a full briefing on what happened.
Trump and his deputies have defended the decision not to notify Democrats, accusing them of leaking. And two of the president's top Republican allies said Monday they too were not told in advance of the raid.
But Democrats say Trump's failure to brief them ahead of the operation is part of a pattern evident since he announced he was withdrawing U.S. troops from northern Syria earlier this month.
WNU Editor: The Republicans were also not told, and I am sure they are not happy .... McConnell, McCarthy not notified ahead of Baghdadi raid (The Hill). Unfortunately, there has been a problem in the past where leaks have damaged U.S. operations. As I mentioned yesterday, there is a precedent where a leak gave al-Baghdadi a heads-up on U.S. operations .... Top U.S. Special Operations Commander In 2017 Said ISIS Leader Slipped Away Due To A New York Times Leak (October 28, 2019). And when one looks at today's Washington, with no trust between the U.S. President and Congressional Democrats on any issue, you cannot help but wonder if given the opportunity, such intel will be exploited for political reasons. After-all, we are witnessing it everyday with selective leaks on the Trump impeachment inquiry to the media. Bottom line. My commentary on Sunday that withholding this information is going to be debated on and analyzed for a long time still holds .... President Trump Did Not Inform Congressional Democrats On The Raid That Killed ISIS Leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. (October 27, 2019).
* ISIS defector was reportedly key in US operation that killed the terror leader * Well-placed mole was present inside the compound during the US assault * Gave up details about the layout as well as al-Baghdadi's exact location * Informant may now get some or all of the $25 million reward for his death * The man of unknown nationality has now been extracted with his family
More details have emerged about the ISIS defector who gave up key information that led to the successful U.S. operation to kill Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
The mole, a man of unidentified nationality, was actually inside Baghdadi's Syrian compound when U.S. Delta Forces raided it and killed the terror leader on Saturday, U.S. and Middle Eastern officials told the Washington Post.
The informant gave up detailed information including the precise interior layout of the compound and Baghdadi's location inside at the time of the assault, the officials said.
Just confirmed that Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's number one replacement has been terminated by American troops. Most likely would have taken the top spot - Now he is also Dead!
The likely successor to the now-dead Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is also dead, President Trump tweeted Tuesday morning. According to the president, the unidentified "number one replacement has been terminated by American troops."
"Just confirmed that Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's number one replacement has been terminated by American troops. Most likely would have taken the top spot - Now he is also Dead!" the president tweeted.
Protests have erupted around the world over the past few months, with hundreds of thousands of people from the Middle East to Asia, South America and the Caribbean calling for change.
In Lebanon, protesters have recently stood together to end alleged government corruption while some one million Chileans have taken to the streets to protest class inequality.
Pakistan, Iraq, and Catalonia have also witnessed significant uprisings which have developed into generalised civil unrest.
LONDON (Reuters) - Britain will hold its first December election in almost a century after Prime Minister Boris Johnson won approval from parliament on Tuesday for an early ballot aimed at breaking the Brexit deadlock.
After the European Union granted a third delay to the divorce that was originally supposed to take place on March 29, the United Kingdom, its parliament and its electorate remain divided on how, or indeed whether, to go ahead with Brexit.
Johnson, who had promised to deliver Brexit on Oct. 31 "do or die", demanded a Dec. 12 election after parliament - where he has no majority - frustrated his attempts to ratify the last-minute divorce deal he struck with the EU earlier this month.
Aerial view taken Oct. 27, 2019 shows the site that was hit by helicopter gunfire near the northwestern Syrian village of Barisha in Syria's Idlib province. Omar Haj Kadour, AFP
Islamic State (IS) group chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was found and killed over the weekend in northern Syria just a few miles from the Turkish border in a US raid that evaded the Turkey's Incirlik base, in a sign of the increasing distrust between US and Turkish militaries.
The compound where Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was targeted early Sunday is located near the village of Barisha in northwestern Syria barely three miles from the Turkish border in Idlib, a province that has come to be known as "the last refuge of Syrian rebels" resisting President Bashar al-Assad's forces.
Iraqi security forces wearing masks and black plainclothes have opened fire on protesters in the Shiite holy city of Karbala, killing 18 people and injuring hundreds, officials say.
The attack, which happened overnight (local time), came as Iraqis took to the streets for a fifth consecutive day, protesting against their Government's corruption, a lack of services and other grievances.
The protests, leaderless and largely spontaneous, have been met with bullets and tear gas from the first day.
* The Prime Minister has been demanding MPs agree to a pre-Christmas election to break the Brexit deadlock * Jeremy Corbyn blocked an attempt to trigger an election for December 12 with a simple motion last night * But the Labour leader caved in this morning and announced he will now whip MPs to back a snap poll * Mr Corbyn realised he was being outflanked with PM tabling election Bill with Lib Dem and SNP support * Arguments are still raging over whether to hold the snap poll on December 12 or earlier on December 9 * Labour failed to push amendments that were intended to extend the vote to 16-year-olds and EU nationals
Boris Johnson Christmas election bid cleared a crucial hurdle tonight as a Labour ambush to hand 16-year-olds and EU nationals the vote failed.
Despite Jeremy Corbyn staging an humiliating U-turn to declare he will support a pre-Christmas poll, Labour pushed amendments that would effectively have wrecked the Bill.
But the changes, which amounted to a thinly-veiled effort to gain more support for the looming contest, were not selected by Deputy Speaker Lindsay Hoyle for consideration by MPs tonight.
And the legislation was then swiftly nodded through its second reading, meaning it has received in principle endorsement.
Finishing up on a long meeting right now. Blogging will return in a few hours. Military and Intelligence News Briefs and World News Briefs will be posted later today.
WNU Editor: There has been a number of delays in this pullout, but the trend is for a peaceful resolution. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky's election has changed the dynamics in Ukraine, and his commitment to give autonomy and other reforms to the Ukrainian-Russian dominated majority in eastern Ukraine has given hope in that part of the country that this war will end. My only concern is with Ukraine's nationalists. Many want to continue the war, and many are not in favour of Zelensky's commitment to eliminate the laws that discriminate against Ukraine's Russian minority. Fortunately, these nationalists are out of power, and they have very little support in the country to maintain this terrible status quo.
Canada's western provinces are angry at Trudeau and other eastern liberals.
Confused by Brexit? Get ready for "Wexit."
Political leaders representing a large chunk of Canada are talking about breaking off from the rest of the country in the wake of Justin Trudeau's re-election victory — and this time they're not primarily in French-speaking Quebec, long known for its independent streak.
WNU Editor: Separation is not going to happen. But it is also true that Prime Minister Trudeau's Liberals have zero support in two of Canada's western provinces (Alberta and Saskatchewan), and I do not see Prime Minister Trudeau bending or compromising on any of his issues when it comes to accommodating western Canada. As to what does this mean. Expect this western animosity to grow, as well as western alienation.
Vice President Mike Pence applauds as Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi remains in her seat and looks through a copy of the speech as President Donald Trump arrives to deliver his second State of the Union address to a joint session of the U.S. Congress in the House Chamber on Capitol Hill in Washington, February 5, 2019. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts
WNU Editor: Still to early to make predictions. The economy is doing well, and President Trump's base is still there. There is also the Democrats themselves, and the policies that they are pushing. Policies that I do not think most Americans support. But the mood for something different is also occurring in the U.S.. When you have polls consistently producing results like this .... Poll: 7 In 10 Millennials Would Vote For A Socialist. 1 In 3 Approve Of Communism (October 28, 2019), it is clear to me that new voters want something different.
* The 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (SFOD-D) unit, otherwise known as Delta Force, was involved in the US's successful raid on the compound of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. * The highly secretive unit — comprising about 1,200 operators — recruits mainly from other Special Forces units like Army Rangers and Green Berets. * The unit was started in 1977 under Col. Charles Beckwith, who saw the need for a force that could mobilize quickly to fight unconventional threats. * Beckwith envisioned a force like the British Special Air Service, or SAS, which he served with as an exchange officer in 1962.
The 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (SFOD-D) unit, otherwise known as Delta Force, is a highly selective, extremely secretive unit under the Joint Special Operations Command.
Since its inception in 1977, it has been involved in several high-profile and high-risk operations, like the 1993 mission in Somalia that inspired the movie "Black Hawk Down," as well as classified operations the public will likely never know about.
Cartel gunmen are seen outside during clashes with federal forces following the detention of Ovidio Guzman, son of drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, in Culiacan, Sinaloa state, Mexico October 17, 2019. REUTERS/Jesus Bustamante/File Photo
While Americans obsess with events on the other side of the globe, a state is losing its grip just over our border.
While American media outlets have been trashing the Trump administration over its abandonment of America's "noble Kurdish allies" in Syria, they have paid little attention to an extraordinary and alarming development in Mexico. This week, criminals actually declared open season on the Mexican government—and won.
As part of an ongoing campaign against the country's powerful cartels, Mexican security forces arrested two sons of former Sinaloa cartel kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman in mid-October. Presently, the elder Guzman languishes in a maximum security prison in the United States. Mexican officials seemed to believe that taking his sons out of commission might sound the death knell for the rump Sinaloa organization.
BRITAIN'S new aircraft carrier,HMS Queen Elizabeth, will make her maiden operational deployment as part of a joint US-Dutch-UK naval mission to the South China Sea in 2021.
DONALD TRUMP has been strongly criticised by Iran and Russia over his decision to deploy US troops to protect oil fields in northeastern Syria, as tensions between the countries rise.
MICHELLE OBAMA's husband Barack Obama made an adorable gesture during his wife's speech at the Obama Foundation Summit in Chicago, while she made a particularly heartbreaking confession.
FOUR high-profile "yellow vest" figures requested an emergency meeting with Emmanuel Macron on Monday, arguing that the French leader had failed to offer a political solution to the country's year-long social crisis. The anti-government activists said in a letter addressed to President Macron accused his administration of "repressing and rejecting" the citizen-led movement and turning a deaf ear to the movement's' core demands, adding: "No credible political response has yet been put forward."
KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — A Nepalese man shattered the previous mountaineering record for successfully climbing the world’s 14 highest peaks, completing the feat in 189 days.
Nirmal Purja scaled the 8,027-meter (26,340-foot) Mount Shishapangma in China on Tuesday, which was the last of the 14 peaks that are more than 8,000 meters (26,240 feet) in height.
The previous record for climbing the 14 peaks was seven years, 10 months and six days. It was set by South Korean climber Kim Chang-ho in 2013.
Mingma Sherpa of Seven Summit Treks in Kathmandu, which equipped the expedition, said the 36-year-old Purja was in good health and safely descending from the summit.
Climbing experts called the record a momentous achievement in mountaineering history.
“It is a great achievement for mountaineering and mountaineers and a milestone in the history of climbing,” said Ang Tshering, who previously headed the Nepal Mountaineering Association.
A former soldier in the British army, Purja began his mission on April 23 with a climb of Mount Annpurna in Nepal.
In Nepal, he climbed Mount Annapurna on April 23, Mount Dhaulagiri on May 12, Mount Kanchenjunga on May 15, Mount Everest on May 22, Mount Lhotse on May 22, Mount Makalu on May 24 and Mount Manaslu on Sept. 27.
In Pakistan, he climbed Mount Nanga Parbat on July 3, Mount Gasherbrum 1 on July 15, Mount Gasherbrum 2 on July 18, Mount K2 on July 24 and Mount Broad Peak on July 26.
In China, he scaled Mount Cho You on Sept. 23 and Mount Shishapangma on Oct. 29.
He struggled to get permission from the Chinese government for his last climb and was allowed only after getting help from the Nepalese government.
Purja’s photo of a long line of climbers just below the Mount Everest summit was widely circulated on social media in May. It raised concerns about overcrowding and the safety of climbers spending so much time on the highest point of the earth for hours stuck on a traffic jam.
Purja joined the British army in 2003 and quit earlier this year to begin his mission of climbing all the highest peaks in record time.
WASHINGTON — The House has voted overwhelmingly to recognize the century-old mass killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks as genocide. The move is a clear rebuke to NATO ally Turkey in the wake of its invasion of northern Syria.
Historians estimate that up to 1.5 million Armenians were killed around World War I, and many scholars see it as the 20th century’s first genocide. Turkey disputes the description, saying the toll has been inflated and considering those killed victims of a civil war.
The nonbinding resolution passed 405-11 Tuesday. American lawmakers have been critical of Ankara’s recent incursion against the Kurds along the Turkish-Syrian border.
In late August, Italy’s anti-migrant Interior Minister Matteo Salvini was ousted after his ruling coalition collapsed, bringing a symbolic end to a government whose signature policy was closing Italy’s ports to ships carrying rescued migrants. But two months on, those same ships are still being stranded in the Mediterranean.
On Tuesday, 11 days after becoming the latest boat to be forced to wait stranded in the Mediterranean sea, the Ocean Viking, a rescue ship carrying 104 migrants, was finally granted access to an Italian port.
It had picked up the occupants of a rubber boat off the coast of Libya, a country that asylum seekers cannot be legally returned to because of human rights abuses. But after heading north, Italian authorities refused the Ocean Viking permission to dock—in much the same way that they did to dozens of ships when Salvini was in power—and only changed their position after the French, German and Italian governments agreed on a plan to resettle the migrants on board.
Salvini came to power in June 2018 promising to curb migrant arrivals to Italy, where more than 119,000 people arrived by sea in 2017. “Italy has been receiving and holding refugees and migrants for years, without any support from the rest of Europe,” says Agnes Callamard, the U.N. Special Rapporteur for extrajudicial executions. “The problem is with the E.U. being unable to abide by its full commitment to take its share of migrants. Italians, when they elected Salvini, said enough is enough.”
E.U. interior ministers met in Malta in September, shortly after Salvini fell from power, to hold what were billed as potential breakthrough talks for creating an agreement between E.U. countries to share migrant arrivals, relieving the burden on Italy. An agreement was struck there, but only between four countries: Italy and Malta (both coastal countries where migrants arrive) and Germany and France, the E.U.’s two central powers.
“The only thing we can say, after spending 11 days at sea, is that such an agreement doesn’t seem to work,” Louise Guillaumat, the deputy director of SOS Méditerranée, the NGO which operates the Ocean Viking, told TIME on Tuesday evening as the boat was on its way to the port of Pozzallo in Sicily where those on board would be disembarked.
“The sad result of that is that it ended up with people dying at sea,” Guillaumat says.
Even though Salvini out of power, the core dispute between Italy and the rest of the E.U. on what is to be done with the migrants on board rescue ships has not been resolved. “When a relocation agreement is settled, Italy is willing to open its ports,” Guillaumat says. “But there are few E.U. member states willing to welcome people into their territory and support the coastal states” of Italy and Malta.
Conditions for migrants in the Mediterranean have grown steadily worse since 2015. That year, more than 1 million people crossed the sea to Europe, and fewer than 0.4% drowned on the way. As numbers crossing the sea fell, largely thanks to preventative measures imposed by the E.U. and its member states, the deadliness of the journey increased. In 2019 so far, more than 1% of people making the journey have died. “The central Mediterranean is still the deadliest migration route in the world,” Giullaumat says.
A contributing factor has been the regular standoffs between rescue ships and European authorities, which reduces the chances of migrants in distress being saved. “Waiting at sea means we are not operational any more,” Giullaumat says. “While being stuck in that standoff, we saw a lot of distress calls happening and we don’t know what happened to the people. Either they died or they were sent back to Libya.”
The three Soong sisters were precocious from a young age. But few could have predicted the level of influence they eventually had on the course of history in 20th-century China. Born in Shanghai in the 1890s to Charlie Soong, a wealthy merchant and missionary, the sisters were all educated at Wesleyan College in Georgia, traveling to the U.S. without an accompanying guardian. “Big Sister” Ei-Ling, was known as the brightest mind in the family, gaining fortune through her marriage to banker and eventual finance minster of China H.H. Kung. “Little Sister” May-Ling, married Chinese Nationalist leader Chiang Kai-shek and became first lady of the mainland known around the world, even gracing the cover of TIME three times. And “Red Sister” Ching-Ling married Sun Yat-sen, the first President of the Republic of China and the opponent of Nationalist leader Chiang, before becoming Mao’s vice-chair.
One biography of the Soong family was published in 1986, and several biographies have since been written about Little Sister in her role as Madame Chiang Kai-shek. But a new book by historian and writer Jung Chang, Big Sister, Little Sister, Red Sister: Three Women at the Heart of Twentieth-Century China, reveals the fascinating intertwined story of the three sisters for the first time. Best known for her 1991 international-bestseller Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China, which explored her own family history in China through the twentieth century, Chang researched previously unused documents from archives, including personal letters written by the sisters, to chart their fascinating personal and political lives. Chang spoke to TIME about the Soong sisters, their impact on history, and what has changed for women in China since their time.
Alfred A. KnopfBig Sister, Little Sister, Red Sister is author Jung Chang’s new biography of the three Soong sisters
What prompted you to write about the Soong sisters?
After my last book, the biography of Empress Dowager Cixi, was published in 2013, I was thinking about my next subject. I wanted to write about another program setter, so I started researching Sun Yat-sen, who is often called the father of China. Then I changed my mind — I was a little bored. I found that his wife and her sisters were much more interesting than him. They were political, but they also had other aspects about them: Their personal, emotional ups and downs, their dramatic lives, and their relationships. So I decided to write about them.
What was your most surprising discovery?
I was surprised about the relationship between Chiang Kai-shek and Madame Chiang Kai-shek. For many years after her marriage to Chiang Kai-shek, May-Ling was in a deep depression, and he wanted to get her out of it, so he gave her this present, which was a “necklace,” for her birthday in 1932. It encircled a whole mountain, and the jewel of the necklace was a villa, called the May-Ling Palace outside Nanjing. The roof of this villa has blue-green tiles which sparkle in the sun, and made it look like a real jewel. The chains of the necklace are made of French pine trees which Chiang had imported to China and planted like a real necklace around the whole mountain. The pine trees colour in a different way to the local trees, so in the autumn, if you took a private plane, which of course you could do if you were May-Ling, you see this spectacular necklace. This side of Chiang Kai-shek, in the personal relationship and his imaginativeness and sensibility to May-Ling was a bit surprising to me.
Su Yang/VCG—Visual China Group via Getty ImaAerial view of a light show in progress at May-ling palace during Qixi Festival at the Purple Mountain on August 7, 2019 in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province of China.
Why had their histories not been explored in depth before?
I think in Chinese history, so many things have not been written about which ought to have been written about. With the three sisters, there is too much politics involved with their lives, and inevitably you don’t get truthful, honest, scholarly writing. When I was growing up in mainland China for example, we all heard that May Ling had a bath every day in milk, which is why her skin was so fine. I remember our teacher saying gently, do you really think bathing in milk is pleasant? And of course, he was condemned as a rightist.
In this book, the paths of these three sisters were part of a major period in Chinese history. Between 1913, and 1938 when Chiang Kai-shek seized power, China was a democracy. This came as such a revelation to me, because no one talked about that period, and still they don’t talk about this in China. China had an artistic, literary, linguistic and creative renaissance simply because it was a democracy. During this time, there were three general elections, a functioning parliament, press freedom and freedom of expression, and of course women’s emancipation.
In a way, Big Sister, Little Sister, Red Sister is similar to your earlier autobiography Wild Swans in intertwining the personal histories of a family with the broader arc of Chinese history. Is it your conscious choice to tell stories that way?
Wild Swans is about three women on the receiving end of history. We were small people in society. These three women were at the heart of power and they contributed in making these policies, they had a certain influence and an impact on how China evolved in those years. It is my conscious decision to write about characters and people whose private personal lives are intimately connected with the politics and history of the country. I think that’s much more interesting. For me, it helps me find answers to all these questions, the big holes in history books that don’t satisfy me.
Had there been any Chinese women as much as political power as the Soong sisters before? And would you say there have been any since?
No. The Empress Dowager was really powerful, and she was the ruler of China on and off for nearly half a century. She was the first modernizer of China, bringing medieval China into the modern age. The sisters were not policymakers on the same level as the Empress Dowager, but still they had extraordinary influence. Ching-Ling was Mao’s vice chair. May-Ling was China’s first lady for many years, and during the Second World War, she was one of the most famous women in the world. She was the face of wartime China and did a lot for the country. At the Cairo conference in 1943, she went with Chiang Kai Shek and she personally negotiated with Roosevelt’s representative. She made a difference and was a politician in her own right. Big Sister, Ei-Ling, also had tremendous influence on Chiang Kai-shek. For one thing, she converted him to Christianity and that softened his dictatorship, making it less harsh. The sisters made his dictatorship less harsh than it might have been.
Keystone-France—Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images On Nov. 22 1943, The President Of The U.S.A, Franklin D. Roosevelt meets General Chang Kai-Shek and his wife Soong May-Ling in Cairo to arrange the conditions to be proposed to Japan after the Allied Victory, including the return of all land conquered by aggression.
No, there have not been people like them. The sisters were from a time when big things were happening and people of greatness were emerging because that was a very liberating period. After so many years of dictatorship, from Chiang Kai-shek to Mao’s, right up to the repressive regime of today, there isn’t this atmosphere or soil for people like them to blossom.
One passage from an essay by Ei-Ling referring to Confucius is striking: “His grossest mistake was the failure to regard womankind with respect.” How progressive were the sisters for their time?
This surprised me because she was a teenager when she wrote that and it was the beginning of the twentieth century. She was so perceptive: Without denigrating Confucius, she put her finger spot on on the major weakness of Confucianism, which is its contempt for women. She said words to the effect that a nation would not really become great without the liberation of its womenfolk. I found it extraordinary that she saw that then, when one hundred years later, many people still haven’t grasped that.
How has the role of women in Chinese society changed overall since the time of the Soong sisters?
As I live in Britain now, not China, my views and my experience there is very limited. Since writing the biography of Mao, I lost my freedom to travel in China. I can only go back for two weeks a year to see my mother. I have no contact while I’m there with the public and people beyond my immediate family. Any views of mine are bound to be not only limited, but may not be quite right.
But from the little I know, when I was in China under Mao, women were told that we held up half the sky. For me at the time, that meant we did things which were traditionally not for women. I was a steelworker and an electrician, although I dreaded going near wires. For people of my generation, women did a lot of physical labour and were traditionally reserved for men. One was also less conscious of one’s sexuality in those years. Any sign of people’s sexuality or female mind and character was not allowed to come to the surface. In those days, we couldn’t show what we wanted as a woman. I think today’s China has changed since then. All I can say is that it’s probably more difficult for women to excel.
Given that you’ve spent a large part of your life outside mainland China — although of course, not voluntarily — do you still feel like it is home?
No. My home is London, where my husband and my friends are, and where I feel most at ease. Having said that, of course I take an intense interest in China. That’s my native country, and it’s the country I somehow care so much about, and I worry so much about what might go wrong there. I really care and feel for the country and the people who have been so much and really deserve good lives. It’s a country I feel very emotional about.
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.
(BEIRUT) — Lebanon’s prime minister resigned Tuesday, bowing to one of the central demands of anti-government demonstrators shortly after baton-wielding Hezbollah supporters rampaged through the main protest camp in Beirut, torching tents, smashing plastic chairs and chasing away protesters.
The demonstrators later returned to the camp in time to hear the news that Prime Minister Saad Hariri said he was stepping down after hitting a “dead end” in trying to resolve the crisis, which has paralyzed the country for nearly two weeks. The protesters erupted in cheers at the news.
The Hezbollah rampage marked a violent turning point in Lebanon’s protests, which have called for the resignation of the government and the overthrow of the political class that has dominated the country since the 1975-1990 civil war. The government is dominated by factions allied with Hezbollah, the most powerful armed group in the country.
Hariri had reluctantly worked with those factions as part of a national unity government that had failed to address an increasingly severe economic and fiscal crisis.
“I tried all this time to find an exit and listen to the voice of the people and protect the country from the security and economic dangers,” Hariri said. “Today, to be honest with you, I have hit a dead end, and it is time for a big shock to confront the crisis.”
Hariri’s resignation fulfills a key demand of the protesters but plunges the country into even greater uncertainty, with no clear path toward the fundamental political change they are demanding. The economy, which was in the grip of a major fiscal crisis even before the protests began, is now at risk of collapsing, with banks, schools and many businesses having been closed for two weeks.
A proposed tax on the WhatsApp messenger service ignited protests Oct. 17, sending hundreds of thousands of people into the streets in the largest demonstrations in more than a decade. The protests soon widened into calls for the overthrow of the political elites who have ruled the country since the 1975-1990 civil war.
Similar demonstrations erupted in Iraq this month, calling for the overthrow of the political class that became entrenched after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion. The protests there have been much more violent, with security forces firing tear gas and live fire. At least 240 people have been killed.
Lebanon’s protests were largely peaceful, with only occasional minor scuffles with security forces, but that changed early Tuesday, when groups of men began confronting protesters who were blocking roads.
The men initially presented themselves as disgruntled residents frustrated by the country’s paralysis, but they later could be heard chanting, “At your service, Hussein,” a Shiite religious slogan, and “God, Nasrallah, and the whole Dahiyeh,” referring to Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and the group’s stronghold in the southern suburbs of Beirut.
They launched their attack about midday on the main protest camp in Beirut where demonstrators have been staying for nearly two weeks. The rallies swell at night, but there were only a few dozen protesters in the square when the Hezbollah supporters arrived.
Soldiers and riot police initially moved in to separate the groups but were unable to prevent the Hezbollah supporters from storming Martyrs’ Square in central Beirut, the main protest site. Hezbollah supporters lashed out at reporters covering the melee, kicking some of them and reaching for their cameras.
It was unclear how many people were wounded. Fights broke out in places and security forces could be seen beating some people with batons.
The protesters armed themselves with wooden batons and metal poles as the Hezbollah supporters approached but fled when the counterdemonstrators arrived in larger numbers. Security forces later fired tear gas to disperse them, but only after they had destroyed and set fire to several tents.
Nasrallah had criticized the protests last week, accusing unspecified foreign powers of exploiting them to undermine his group and saying they threatened to drag the country into civil war.
Hezbollah was the only armed group in Lebanon to maintain its weapons after the civil war, saying they were needed to defend the country from Israel, which occupied parts of southern Lebanon from 1982 until 2000. Hezbollah later fought Israel to a stalemate during a ferocious monthlong war in 2006.
Hezbollah is widely seen as being more militarily powerful than even the Lebanese armed forces.
It was not clear if Hezbollah directly ordered Tuesday’s attack, but the group has not disavowed the behavior of its supporters. It was an ominous sign, raising the possibility that one or more of Lebanon’s many sectarian factions could resort to violence as the crisis deepens.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged all sides to avoid violence and for security forces to show restraint, saying he hoped for a political solution that would “preserve stability and peace,” his spokesman said.
“We’re fully opposed and strongly opposed to all attacks that impede the peaceful protests that are underway,” said the spokesman, Farhan Haq.
Groups of protesters eventually returned to the main squares and began repairing their tents, while others went back to blocking the roads. They could be heard chanting one of the main slogans of the protests, “All means all,” which is seen as referring to all of Lebanon’s political factions, including Hezbollah and its allies.
The protesters welcomed Hariri’s resignation, but it’s unclear what comes next. He could stay in office as a caretaker prime minister, with the pro-Iran factions strengthened.
Lebanon has gone through long periods of paralysis before. A complex power-sharing arrangement distributes power and high offices among Shiites, Sunnis and Christians. That has prevented the country from sliding back into civil war but has spawned networks of patronage and nepotism, and has made it virtually impossible for the government to take major decisions or even provide reliable public services.
The protesters have called for sweeping change to the political system that would produce non-sectarian governments capable of addressing the country’s many challenges.
___
Associated Press writers Sarah El Deeb and Joseph Krauss contributed.
(LONDON) — A report on a deadly apartment block fire in London has condemned the London Fire Brigade and concluded that fewer people would have died if the building were evacuated more quickly.
Britain’s Press Association said the leaked report, which was to be published Wednesday, also accused the brigade’s commissioner Dany Cotton, of “remarkable insensitivity” for testifying that she would not have done anything differently in the early hours of the June 14, 2017 blaze that killed 72 people.
Inquiry chairman Martin Moore-Bick says the “principal reason” the flames shot up the Grenfell Tower building was the presence of relatively new combustible aluminum composite cladding with polyethylene cores, which acted as a “source of fuel.”
The report concluded the fire started as the result of an “electrical fault in a large fridge-freezer.”
Kurumin Aroma felt like her life was over at just 21. She was about to enter her senior year at college, had already been accepted onto a stuffy conglomerate’s graduate program, and was staring at years shuffling paper in a beige cubicle.
So when the suave man with flash business card approached her in Tokyo’s bustling Shinjuku neighborhood, talking enthusiastically about a career in modeling, dreams of exotic photo shoots and star-studded parties washed over her.
“It was perhaps a little easier for him to persuade me than it should have been,” Aroma, who uses an alias in public, tells TIME.
Fast forward eight years and Aroma looks back at the episode with crushing regret. But she is determined to weaponize the ensuing trauma to help stop others from becoming, like her, one of the hundreds of young Japanese women coerced into pornography by tricksters masquerading as legitimate modeling agents.
After being pressured into signing a convoluted contract, and flown to a remote location far from home, she was bullied into sex acts before rolling cameras, with threats of legal repercussions if she didn’t acquiesce. “I really didn’t feel I was able to say no,” she says.
It’s a common story. The coercion of young women into pornography and prostitution has become an epidemic in Japan, where the fetishization of adolescence is disturbingly common and legal protections for children shockingly lax.
Shihoko Fujiwara, founder of the Lighthouse NGO that helps victims of sex trafficking in Japan, says she took on 103 new cases last year—similar to Aroma’s—on top of the hundreds already on her books. Ten years ago most of those she helped came from abroad, but today the bulk of cases that come before her charity comprise teenage runaways and abuse victims from Japan.
“It’s definitely on the increase,” she says. “We have also seen lots more children victimized in the commercial sex industry come to us for help.”
Although officially illegal, Japan has a booming sex industry due to numerous loopholes. On any night, the streets of Kabukicho, central’s Tokyo’s infamous red light district, teem with girls dressed in school uniforms beckoning bleary-eyed salary men into dingy bars and massage parlors known as joshi kosei, or “high school girl,” businesses.
Japan has some 300 cafes—the ones in Tokyo fill a whole street—where teenage girls in school uniform chat to older men for about $50 per hour (including all the beer you can drink). Men pay to hold hands, go for a walk or even snooze on a girl’s lap. Some then arrange “dates” away from the café. An estimated 5,000 teenagers earn cash this way.
Most shockingly, child pornography, only made illegal in 2014, remains rife. An extensive study found 15% of the male population have viewed child pornography while 10% own it. There is also a booming and perfectly legal trade in “Lolicon”—Lolita themed manga and anime—featuring extreme violence, rape and incest involving children. Sexually suggestive videos known as chaku ero, which don’t show naked genitals, buttocks or breasts, but can feature children as young as six-years-old, remain legal.
There are few laws to protect children. In April, protests erupted in Tokyo after a father walked free after raping his own teenage daughter because she did not put up what the court considered “sufficient resistance.” And while it is illegal for a woman to be paid for sex, “Around 100 pimps are out on the street every night trying to recruit young girls,” says Yumeno Nito, of Tokyo’s Colabo NGO. It’s also legal for a man to solicit customers for a female sex worker.
Every Wednesday, Nito and her volunteers drive a big pink bus to hotspots in central Toyko and set up their mobile Tsubomi Café to help at-risk girls. It offers food, coffee and counseling, as well as condoms, toothbrushes and feminine hygiene products, to girls who would rather hang out on the street than go home.
“We are mainly helping teenage girls who are abused by their parents or don’t fit in at school,” says Nito, who also runs a shelter for runaway youngsters.
It’s an unfortunate fact that the world’s third largest economy struggles to provide adequate social services for young people. Last year, Japan had only 3,250 child welfare workers on the books, but 122,578 reported cases of child abuse. Despite the government’s intention to add another 2,000 welfare professionals, Nito says most resources are spent on services for infants and the very young, meaning teenagers slip through the cracks.
“The government looks at abused girls as lost causes, who can’t join normal society again,” she says.
Other then being approached on the street, young people are commonly groomed online. Often, they are coaxed or coerced into sending nude or compromising photos of themselves to predators, whom then use that material to extort more sordid contacts, beginning a worsening spiral of abuse. An estimated 170,000 junior high and high school girls are engaged in prostitution. Once snared, some actively solicit men online or attempt to earn money by selling nude photos or underwear.
“They feel like they are being empowered by being abused,” says Fujiwara.
Once released onto the web, photos and videos are almost impossible to remove. For a young person to have their molestation constantly shared in the public domain can be devastating. Many suffer for years and feel forced to quit jobs or college.
“Some of them commit suicide,” says Fujiwara.
Aroma spent years trying to expunge films of her abuse from the Internet. “Every time I managed to get a copy taken down another one is loaded up, so eventually I just gave up trying,” she says. The agency she signed with closed down and her abusers are difficult to track down. While her immediate family has been supportive, she says some relatives have broken off all contact, unable to handle the shame.
Noriko Hayashi/Bloomberg via Getty Images Illuminated signs are displayed on the exterior of commercial buildings at night in the Shinjuku district of Tokyo, Japan, on Wednesday, July 21, 2018.
‘We just don’t have a proper system’
Fujiwara says international pressure is key to fixing the system. The move to finally outlaw child pornography came after concerted pressure, primarily from the Swedish government. A visit from and damning 2016 report by, the U.N. special rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, prompted a bill currently under consideration that aims to boost legal safeguards relating to child sex work.
Still, Japanese law says victims of sex trafficking must arrive in Japan from another country, which is at odds with the internationally recognized definition. As such, despite the multitude of cases NGOs like Lighthouse and Colabo see on a daily bases, Japan officially recognized only 25 trafficking cases last year. What’s more, Japan still doesn’t have a dedicated human trafficking law.
“We just don’t have a proper system,” says Fujiwara. “Victims of human trafficking are put into a domestic violence shelter, which is awful.”
With the Olympics arriving in Tokyo next summer, activists hope the world’s gaze will force the government to properly address the issues. Already, pornography has been removed from convenience stores and a new registration criteria introduced for Kabukicho’s seedy establishments. Yet some also fear this is just sweeping the problem under the carpet.
Aroma, for one, has little faith in her government’s desire or wherewithal to tackle the issue. Instead, she uses her Youtube channel to raise awareness of sexual exploitation. She believes the key is on educating young girls about the gap between what they see on TV and life’s cruel reality. Too often, she says, “you think your dream is to be a pop star, but then the situation suddenly turns tragic.”
(WASHINGTON) — Pivoting from the dramatic killing of the Islamic State’s leader, the Pentagon is increasing U.S. efforts to protect Syria’s oil fields from the extremist group as well as from Syria itself and the country’s Russian allies. It’s a new high-stakes mission even as American troops are withdrawn from other parts of the country.
Defense Secretary Mark Esper says the military’s oil field mission also will ensure income for Syrian Kurds who are counted on by Washington to continue guarding Islamic State prisoners and helping American forces combat remnants of the group — even as President Donald Trump continues to insist all U.S. troops will come home.
“We don’t want to be a policeman in this case,” Trump said Monday, referring to America’s role after Turkey’s incursion in Syria. In the face of Turkey’s early October warning that it would invade and create a “safe zone” on the Syrian side of its border, Trump ordered U.S. forces to step aside, effectively abandoning a Kurdish militia that had partnered with U.S. troops.
Esper and Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, spoke at a Pentagon news conference to cheer the successful mission by U.S. special operations forces Saturday that ended with IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi blowing himself up. Esper called al-Baghdadi’s death a “devastating blow” to an organization that already had lost its hold on a wide swath of territory in Syria and Iraq.
Milley said the U.S. had disposed of al-Baghdadi’s remains “appropriately” and in line with the laws of armed conflict. He also said U.S. forces retrieved unspecified intelligence information from the site, which he described as a place in northwestern Syria where the IS leader had been “staying on a consistent basis.”
Esper hinted at uncertainty ahead in Syria , even though the Islamic State has lost its inspirational leader, with the Syrian government exploiting support from Russia and Iran.
“The security situation in Syria remains complex,” Esper said.
A big part of that complexity is the rejiggering of the battlefield since Trump earlier this month ordered a full U.S. troop withdrawal from positions along the Turkish border in northeastern Syria. Even as those troops leave, other U.S. forces are heading to the oil-producing region of eastern Syria, east of the Euphrates River.
Trump recently has proposed hiring an American oil company to begin repairing Syria’s oil infrastructure, which has been devastated by years of war. Repeated U.S. airstrikes against facilities for oil storage, transport, processing and refining starting in 2015 inflicted heavy damage.
Esper said last week that a “mechanized” force would reinforce U.S. positions in the oil region, meaning a force equipped with tanks or Bradley infancy carriers. On Monday he provided no details about the makeup of the force.
He referred to “multiple state and nonstate” forces vying for control of Syrian territory and resources, including the oil. He said that while the main U.S. military mission is to ensure the “enduring defeat” of the Islamic State, that now will include denying oil income for the group.
“The United States will retain control of oil fields in northeast Syria,” Esper said, adding that at the height of al-Baghdadi’s rule, those oil fields provided the bulk of his group’s income.
Esper’s remarks echoed Trump’s focus on the oil. But whose oil is it?
“We’re keeping the oil,” Trump said during a speech to police officers in Chicago. “Remember that, I’ve always said that. Keep the oil. We want to keep the oil — $45 million a month — keep the oil. We’ve secured the oil.”
Esper emphasized that the purpose of securing Syria’s oil region is to deny income to the Islamic State. But a reporter asked whether the mission includes preventing Russian and Syrian government forces from entering that area.
“The short answer is yes, it presently does,” Esper said, “because in that case we want to make sure” the Syrian Kurdish-led militia known as the Syrian Democratic Forces, “does have access to the resources in order to guard the prisons and arm their own troops, in order to assist us with the defeat-ISIS mission.”
This area has been the scene of unusual confrontations with U.S. forces, such as a one-sided battle in February 2018 in which a pro-Syrian government force reported to be mainly private Russian mercenaries unleashed an artillery barrage near a small U.S. military outpost. As then-Defense Secretary Jim Mattis recounted the episode in congressional testimony two months later, he ordered the attacking force to be “annihilated – and it was” after Russian authorities insisted the attackers were not their troops.
Esper said Monday that he has seen no sign of Syrian or Russian forces challenging U.S. control of the oil fields.
In recent days, however, U.S. officials detected what they considered to be a significant massing of Syrian and Russian forces on the western side of the Euphrates River near Deir el-Zour, a U.S. official said Monday. Russian officials were contacted by phone, and the U.S. was given assurances that the staged forces would not move east, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive issue.
Jim Jeffrey, the Trump administration’s special envoy for Syria, seemed to refer to this episode when he said last Friday, “We are currently very concerned about certain developments in the south, in the Deir el-Zour area. I’ve talked to my Russian colleague about that and we’re having other contacts with the Russians concerning that situation. We think it is under control now.”
After expelling Islamic State militants from southeastern Syria in 2018, the Kurds seized control of the more profitable oil fields to the south in Deir el-Zour province.
A quiet arrangement has existed between the Kurds and the Syrian government, whereby Damascus buys the surplus through middlemen in a profitable smuggling operation that has continued despite political differences. The Kurdish-led administration sells crude oil to private refiners, who use home-made primitive refineries to process fuel and diesel and sell it back to the Kurdish-led administration.
The oil was always likely to be a bargaining chip by the Kurds to negotiate a deal with the Syrian government, which unsuccessfully tried to reach the oil fields to retake them from IS. With Trump saying he plans to keep forces to secure the oil, it seems the oil will continue to be used for leverage— with Moscow and Damascus.
(LONDON) — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will for a fourth time ask Parliament to approve early elections after lawmakers rejected his latest bid amid concerns about the government’s Brexit plans.
The government says it will on Tuesday introduce a short bill calling an election on Dec. 12. The legislation requires a simple majority to be passed. Johnson’s previous proposal was made under a different legislative provision that required a two-thirds majority, which it did not achieve.
To win support from opposition parties, Johnson says he will delay further consideration of his EU withdrawal agreement until after the election.
The Liberal Democrats and Scottish National Party, which had proposed an earlier election date to block Brexit, say they will consider the latest proposal.
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Nasdaq CEO Adena Friedman on the future of stock exchanges and the way investors and companies will interact with them through technologies like A.I. and the Blockchain
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Karnataka GDS Result 2019 @ appost.in | Get Direct link for Karanataka GDS Result 2019 Merit list here:Karnataka Postal Circle will soon announce the result for the post of Gramin Dak Sevak (GDS). Candidates those who have applied for the post can check and download your result from the below link. Here we have given a quick link to access your result easily. Candidates can get the complete details from the official website www.appost.in. On this page, anyone can check the Gramin Dak Sevak (GDS) Result 2019 by using the direct link.
Latest Update on 30th October 2019:The Karnataka GDS Result 2019 is Under process. All the candidates are advised to keep checking this page for more updates.
Karnataka GDS Result 2019 – Check Here
The application process for the recruitment of eligible candidates for the post of Gramin Dak Sevak (GDS) was invited in the month of August 2019. This recruitment process conducted to fill up 2637 candidates for Gramin Dak Sevak Posts in Karnataka state. The Karnataka Post circle GDS merit list will be purely based on the marks of the candidates in SSC. On this page, anyone can check the All-State Postman & Mail Guard Result Result 2019 by using the direct link Indian Post Office Result 2019. Registered candidates can download their result from this page directly by visiting this page. The result link will activate at the time of the result announcement.
Karnataka Postal Circle GDS Result 2019 – Overview
The Karnataka GDS Result (cycle II 2019) will be declared soon. The Provisional shortlisted candidates will invite for the Document verification process. Based on the Document verification process, the final result will declare. Applicants should keep track of this page to get all the latest updates.
Karnataka GDS Expected Cut-Off marks 2019
After the Document Verification process, the final result will announce. As per the selection process for the post of GDS, after the declaration of merit list shortlisted candidates will be called for verification of all the original documents and certificates. The complete information about the DV date, time, venue and other information will be intimated to candidates by the district recruiting authority. The final recruitment will be carried forward at the district level by the designated authority. Also, applicants can get the Karnataka GDS Result 2019 Merit list and Karnataka Post circle GDS result from this page.
Community/category
Expected Cut-off marks
Unreserved (UR)
95
Other Backward Classes (OBC)
89.90
Schedule Caste (SC)
83.84
Scheduled Tribe (ST)
83
PWD-A
78
PWD-B
77
PWD-C
78
Economically Weaker Section (EWS)
87.89
How to check Karnataka GDS Result 2019 Merit list?
Candidates must visit the official website of the Gramin Dak Sevak Engagement portal http://www.appost.in/gdsonline/Home.aspx.
On the home page, search for the "Results" tab.
Click on "Karnataka (2637 posts)" link.
The desired merit list for Karnataka GDS will be download by clicking the respective result link
Check the downloaded merit list PDF and search for the name.
MGU Results 2019 released by Mahatma Gandhi University. Aspirants who had written the semester exam can check out for the direct links from the below section of this page. Candidates can get the Mahatma Gandhi University UG/ PG Semester Exam Results. The direct links provided below will take you at the official site of the university without any confusion. Hence, Check other information of MGU Kerala Results in the below sections of this page. Also, visit the official website i.e, mgu.ac.in to know about admissions & course details.
MGU Exam Results 2019 @mgu.ac.in
Students of Mahatma Gandhi University here is great news for you all. Get the updated Regular, Supplementary, Revaluation results for the Mahatma Gandhi University. As the university offers all kinds of courses like UG/PG/Ph.D. and other courses people from all over Kerala are studying. Candidates can evaluate their performance through below attached links. Make sure you get down the full section. Also, find the latest updates about MG University Results included with MGU PG 4th Sem Results 2019.
MGU Result 2019-20 Released
Examination Name
Result Link
II (Second) Year Bachelor of Physiotherapy(BPT) (Regular/Supplementary) – Degree Examination, November 2018
Mahatma Gandhi University was established on 2 Oct 1983 in Kerala State. The university has 100 affiliated colleges over 5 districts in central Kerala. It is also known as MG University. MGU is one of the top 50 Universities in India. It is only the university from south India. This university offers maximum of 299 academic programs like Bachelor's, Masters, Doctoral degrees in the fields of Pure and Applied Sciences, Technology, Paramedical Studies, Nursing, Management, Engineering, Gandhian Thought, International Relations, Politics, Physics, Nano Science, Disability Studies, Rehabilitation Sciences, Special Education, Psychology, Behavioral Medicine, Tourism, Journalism, Chemical Sciences, Polymer Engineering, Hospital Administration, Environmental Sciences, Disaster Management, Business Studies, Commerce, Economics, Arts, Pedagogical Studies, Hotel and Hospitality Management, Catering Science etc.
Regular/ Supplementary Results for MGU
Students of MGU should get to know the details regarding the Revaluation Results. Once after the main examination is conducted, the University will give you one more chance. In case you fail or score low marks in the semester exam, the university will give you a second chance called Revaluation mode. Applicants do check with the Official Website to know about the Revaluation procedure. Students can get the Regular, Revaluation and Supplementary Results for the MGU here. This Revaluation process may take a few weeks to process the results.
Through the process of revaluation, students can increase their semester exam ranking or those who failed in the examination will get a chance to pass. The exam paper will be evaluated once again for those who have applied for the Revaluation process. So, we advise the candidates to stay updated with our webpage or with the Official website to gather more information about the MGU Revaluation Results.
UBTER Group D Result 2019 To Be Out Soon @ ubter.in | Check Class 4 Cut Off Marks. Welcome to our UBTER Group D Result Page. Here we will help you find all the UBTER Group D Exam Result. The Uttarakhand Board of Technical Education is planning to release UBTER Group D Result 2019 in the month of November 2019. The UBTER Officials have conducted the UBTER Group D Exam on 20th October 2019. So all those participants can check and download your result from this page.
UBTER Group D Result 2019 – Get Here
UBTER Group D 2019 Result – Overview
The Uttarakhand Board of Technical Education officials will soon announce the UBTER Group D Exam Result 2019 on official website ubter.in. A huge number of applicants have written the UBTER Group D Exam for 401 Class IV Posts on 20th October 2019. All the exam participants are waiting for the UBTER Group D Exam Result 2019. Here we will be updating the latest result link, and the result link will activate at the time of the official announcement. Along with the result, applicants can check UBTER Group D Merit List 2019 from the below section.
UBTER Group D Result 2019 | Check Class 4 Cut Off Marks, Merit List
Candidates have to score 50% for the General/EwS category and 45% for SC/ST/OBC in the written examination to be listed in the UBTER Group D merit list. Check the schedule regarding the UBTER Group D Result 2019 from below. Here we have provided some easy steps to download your UBTER Group D Exam Result 2019. Check this page completely to get the complete information about the result.
UBTER Group D Merit List 2019
All the applicants who have appeared for UBTER Written Examination for Group D Posts can check the Uttarakhand UBTER Group D Qualified List 2019 from the official website. The UBTER Merit List 2019 will be provided on the basis of qualified candidates. The Merit List will contain the Roll number & date of birth. Hence, Any of the aspirants whose scores are capable enough to meet the specified qualifying marks are eligible.
UBTER Group D Class 4 Cut Off Marks 2019
The UBTER Cut Off Marks 2019 means the Uttarakhand Board of Technical Education authority will fix the minimum marks that need to be scored by the candidates to get qualified in the exam. Those qualified aspirants can move to the next level rounds. Officials will release the UBTER Group D Class 4 Cut Off Marks 2019 on the official website. The UBTER Group D Class 4 Cut Off Marks 2019 will be decided based on the
Number of the candidates appear for the exam,
Vacancies available,
Previous year cut off marks and
Candidates category.
How to check the UBTER Group D Exam Result 2019?
Initially, applicants can visit the official website of Uttarakhand Board of Technical Education, ubter.in
On the home page, click on the UBTER Group D Exam Result 2019 link
Click on the Result and check your result
Then finally the UBTER Group D Result 2019 will display on your screen.
Supreme Court Admit Card 2019 Available Soon for Senior Personal Assistant – The Court will issue the admit card for the above-said post on its official website. Hence, the hall ticket will be available at the bottom of the section. Candidates who are eligible to take down the examination can download the Supreme Court Hall Ticket before the exam date. Thus, Contenders are suggested to get the admit card from the below-provided link.
Supreme Court Admit Card 2019
Candidates who have successfully registered the application during the recruitment process can download the admit card from the below section. Mostly, Aspirants will struggle to download the admit card by searching for more websites. But We Recruitment. Guru has provided you the direct link to get the hall ticket by providing the direct link given at the end of the webpage.
Details to be noticed in Supreme Court Exam Admit Card 2019
Download the Supreme Court Admit Card by entering the required credentials which are mentioned below. Make sure to get the Hall Ticket to take down the examination. Moreover, Aspirants can download the Supreme Court Admit Card by following the steps stated in the upcoming webpage.
Candidates Name
Name of the Candidate's Father
The venue of the Exam Centre
Date & Time of the Test
Reporting Time to the Exam Hall
Gender (Male/ Female)
Roll Number
Duration of the Online Test
Space for Invigilator's Signature
Registration Number
Name of the Test Centre
Category of the candidates
Space for Applicant's Signature
Name of the Exam Conducting Board
Photograph of the Candidate
Applicant's Date of Birth
Name of the Written Test
Important Guidelines for the Exam Takers
Full Name of the Applicant
Examination Centre Code
Signature of the Board Counselor
Supreme High Court Exam 2019
The Supreme High Court Exam Date will be available soon on its official website. Get the selection process details and the eligibility details from the Supreme High Court Recruitment. The Court will reveal the hall ticket at the scheduled date. Examiners are suggested to follow the general instructions printed on the Supreme High Court Admit Card. Make sure to download the hall ticket before the exam date. Get the Supreme High Court Syllabus from the official portal.
Supreme High Court Selection Process:
Written Test.
Shorthand Test.
Typing Test on Computer.
Interview.
Documents Along with Supreme High Court Admit Card 2019
Carry any one of the original identity proof along with the Supreme High Court Hall Ticket to participate in the exam. Moreover, Aspirants are suggested to download the admit card within the last date after its release by the officials. Therefore, the Court advised the candidates to keep the Supreme Court Admit Card safe until the selection process gets completed.
Original Photograph
Voter Card
Pan Card
Employee ID
College ID
PAN Card
Passport
Driving License
Any other ID proof issued by a Gazetted Officer
Bank Pass Book with the photograph
How to Download Supreme High Court Hall Ticket 2019?
Click on the Supreme HC Personal Assistant Admit Card.
Enter the Login details on the Home Page.
Now enter the image in the box that is available on the page.
Tap on Login to get the Supreme HC Exam Hall Ticket.
Admit Card page will appear on the screen.
Fill the needed credentials into the hall ticket.
After filling recheck the details that you have entered.
Once done with the checking Submit the admit card.
Finally, download the hall ticket after the submission.
Take a photocopy of the Supreme High Court Admit Card.
Carry for the exam and for the upcoming selection rounds.
For the sake of candidates, Rajasthan Electronics and Instruments Limited Technical Assistant and Technician Syllabus 2019 has provided on this page. The Rajasthan Electronics and Instruments Limited will organize the Technical Assistant & Technician vacancies are written the exam on 09th November 2019 to get placed. For the written examination REIL Syllabus 2019 will more useful for the aspirants. Check the REIL Syllabus2019 & Exam Pattern on this page. We have collected the Rajasthan Electronics and Instruments Limited Syllabus 2019 and arranged it as a PDF format below on this page. Go through the entire page to get more information REIL Technical Assistant & Technician Syllabus 2019.
Aspirants need to gather the topics for the examination to begin the preparation. By knowing the contents of the REIL Syllabus 2019, the contenders can understand how to prepare for the test. Without getting the syllabus, the aspirants cannot practice for the exam. All the candidates need to secure the minimum marks in the examination. Getting a position in the Rajasthan Electronics and Instruments Limited is a hard task for all. So, all the eligible aspirants have to use this golden chance to participate in the written test. Applicants can start their exam preparation with the help of REIL Technical Assistant & Technician Syllabus 2019. So prepare well for Technical Assistant & TechnicianWritten Examination.
All the applied candidates must know about the REIL Jaipur Exam Pattern in addition to the REIL Syllabus 2019. The Exam Pattern lets you know the structure of the examination. For the sake of applied candidates, we provide the Exam Pattern in a table format. Additionally, you can also easily crack the exam by using REIL Jaipur Syllabus 2019. Participants who are willing to get a position in the Rajasthan Electronics and Instruments Limited Organization, they have to check this page. We suggest job hunters follow the information given on this web page and participate in the written examination.
Applied candidates of the REIL Jaipur Exam 2019 should attend for the following selection rounds. These rounds are conducted by the recruitment team of Rajasthan Electronics and Instruments Limited. The REIL will recruit the candidates who qualified in the following rounds. For this reason, you have to prepare well for these rounds.
Aspirants have to prepare and can start their practice so that you can grab this chance quickly. The REIL Technical Assistant & Technician is very important for the candidates who had applied for the Rajasthan Electronics & Instruments Limited Written Examination. Applicants have to remember that without the syllabus, and the exam practice, the candidates will not gain better marks. So aspirants can easily download the syllabus and crack the Written Examination.
Logical Reasoning
Mirror Images
Number Ranking
Directions
Arithmetical Reasoning
Statements & Arguments
Number Series
Clocks & Calendars
Decision Making
Coding-Decoding
Statements & Conclusions
Blood Relations
Cubes and Dice
Analogy
Alphabet Series
Non-Verbal Series
Data Interpretation
Syllogism
Embedded Figures
Aptitude Syllabus
Blood Relations
Height and Distance
Simple Interest
Time and Distance
Partnership
Area
Data Interpretation
Ratio and Proportion
Logarithm
Decimal Fraction
Boats and Streams
Clocks & Calendars
Problems on H.C.F & L.C.M
Simplification
Allegation or Mixture
Compound Interest
Surds and Indices
Time and Work
Problems on Ages
Average
Chain Rule
Probability
Permutation and Combination
Pipes and Cistern
Square Root and Cube Root
Volume and Surface Area
General English
Phrase Replacement
Idioms & Phrases
Verb
Articles
Meanings
Unseen Passages
Reading Comprehension
Error Spotting/Phrase Replacement
Para Jumbles
Sentence Corrections
Adjectives
Synonyms
Word Formations
Grammar
Adverb
Missing Verbs
Antonyms
Subject-Verb Agreement
Sentence Rearrangement
Cloze Test
Fill in the Blanks
General Awareness
Tourism
Current Affairs
Indian Economy
Indian History
Sports
Famous Days & Dates
Rivers, Lakes, and Seas
Civics
Countries and Capitals
Famous Places in India
Biology
Environmental Issues
Artists
Literature
Indian Parliament
Heritage
Famous Books & Authors
General Science
Geography
Inventions and Discoveries
Indian Politics
Important Links Related To Rajasthan Electronics and Instruments Limited
JPSC Syllabus 2019: Dear Folks !! The latest news is here. Jharkhand Public Service Commission Officials are going to conducting a Written Examination on 03rd November 2019 to filling the various vacancies of the Scientific Officer Posts. Interested candidates can use this amazing opportunity to achieve their dream job. Those aspirants who have applied for the recruitment exam and want to know the JPSC Syllabus 2019 can continue reading the page to get the complete details regarding the exam pattern and its syllabus.
People who are willing to take part in the JPSC Scientific Officer Written Exam must download the JPSC Syllabus along with Jharkhand PSC Scientific Officer Exam Pattern from the direct links disclosed on this page. Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) Board Authority will conduct the written examination in various examination centres. To those aspirants, we have enclosed the Jharkhand PSC Scientific Officer Exam Syllabus 2019 Subject Wise which will provide information about topics and subtopics essential to prepare well for the examination.
Before appearing in the examination, candidates should have a clear idea about the JPSC Syllabus and Exam Pattern 2019 of the exam. To get recruited through Jharkhand Public Service Commission, candidates need to clear the exam pattern to get qualifying marks in the written examination.
JPSC Scientific Officer Exam Pattern 2019
Name of the Subject
Number of Marks
Type of Examination
Geology Paper I
70
Objective Type Examination
Geology Paper II
60
Geology Paper III
70
Total
200
Selection Procedures:
Most of the job hunters are eagerly waiting to get the job at Jharkhand Public Service Commission which a secure career path for them. If you are one in that group then you need to work hard. Because selection will be purely based on the candidate’s performance and skills which are shown in the following rounds.
Geomorphology of fluvial tracts, arid zones, coastal regions, ‘Karst’ landscapes and glaciated ranges
Geomorphic mapping, slope analysis, and drainage basin analysis
Applications of geomorphology in mineral 1150specting
Civil engineering, hydrology, and environmental studies
Topographical maps
Geomorphology of India Concepts and principles of aerial photography and photogrammetry
Satellite remote sensing data products and their interpretation
Digital image processing
Remote sensing in landform and land use mapping, structural mapping, hydrogeological/ studies and mineral exploration
Global and Indian Space Missions
Geographic Information System (GIS) – principles and applications
Structural Geology
Principles of geological mapping and map reading, projection diagrams
Stress-strain relationships of elastic, plastic and viscous materials
Measurement of strain in deformed rocks
The behaviour of minerals and rocks under deformation conditions.
Structural analysis of folds, cleavages, lineations, joints and faults. Superposed deformation
Mechanism of folding and faulting. Time-relationship between crystallization and deformation
Unconformities and basement-cover relations
Structural behaviour of igneous rocks, diapirs and salt domes
Introduction to petrofabrics.
JPSC Syllabus 2019 – Geotectonics
Earth and the solar system, Meteorites and other extra-terrestrial materials
Planetary evolution of the earth and its internal structure
Heterogeneity of the earth’s crust
Major tectonic features of the Oceanic and Continental crust
Continental drift – geological and geophysical evidence, mechanics, objections, present status
Gravity and magnetic anomalies at Mid-ocean ridges, deep-sea trenches, continental shield areas and mountain chains Palaeomagnetism
Seafloor spreading and Plate Tectonics. Island arcs, Oceanic islands and volcanic arcs. Isostasy, orogeny and epeirogeny.
Seismic belts of the earth
Seismicity and plate movements
Geodynamics of the Indian plate
Stratigraphy
Nomenclature and the modern stratigraphic code
Radioisotopes and measuring
Geological time
Geological time-scale
Stratigraphic procedures of correlation of unfossiliferous rocks
Precambrian stratigraphy of India
Stratigraphy of the Palaeozoic, Mesozoic and Cenozoic formations of India
Gondwana system and Gondwanaland
Rise of the Himalaya and evolution of Siwalik basin
Deccan Volcanics
Quaternary Stratigraphy
Rock record, palaeoclimate and palaeogeography
JPSC Scientific Officer Syllabus – Palaeontology
The fossil record and geological time-scale
Morphology and time-ranges of fossil groups
Evolutionary changes in molluscs and mammals in geological time Principles of evolution
Use of species and genera of foraminifera and Echinodermata in biostratigraphic correlation
Siwalik vertebrate fauna
Gondwana flora, evidence of life in Precambrian times, different microfossil groups and their distribution in India
Geology Paper II
Mineralogy – JPSC Syllabus 2019
Physical, chemical and crystal/demographic characteristics of common rock-forming silicate mineral groups
Structural classification of silicates
Common minerals of igneous and metamorphic rocks
Minerals of the carbonate, phosphate, sulphide and halide groups Optical properties of common rock-forming silicate .minerals, uniaxial and biaxial minerals
Extinction angles, pleochroism, the birefringence of minerals and their relation with mineral composition
Twinned crystals
Dispersion
The U-stage
Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology
Forms, textures and structures of igneous rocks
Silicate melt equilibria, binary and ternary phase diagrams
Petrology and geotectonic evolution of granites, basalts, andesites and alkaline rocks
Petrology of gabbros, kimberlites, anorthosites and carbonatites
Origin of primary basic magmas
Textures and structures of metamorphic rocks
Regional and contact metamorphism of pelitic and impure calcareous rocks
Mineral assemblages
PIT conditions
Experimental and thermodynamic appraisal of metamorphic reactions
Characteristics of different grades and facies of metamorphism
Metasomatism and granitization, migmatites
Plate tectonics and metamorphic zones
Paired metamorphic belts
Sedimentology – JPSC Syllabus for Scientific Officer
Provenance and diagenesis of sediments
Sedimentary textures
Framework matrix and cement of terrigenous sediments
Definition, measurement and interpretation of grain size
Elements of hydraulics. Primary structures, palaeocurrent analysis
Biogenic and chemical sedimentary structures
Sedimentary environment- and facies
Facies modelling for marine, non-marine and mixed sediments
Tectonics and sedimentation
Classification and definition 02sedimentary basins, Sedimentary basins of India
Cyclic sediments
Seismic and sequence stratigraphy
Purpose and scope of basin analysis
Structure contours and isopach maps
JPSC Scientific Officer Geochemistry Syllabus
Earth in relation to the solar system and universe, a cosmic abundance of elements
Compositor of the planets and meteorites
Structure and composition of earth and distribution of elements
Trace elements
Elementary crystal chemistry and thermodynamics
Introduction to isotope geochemistry
Geochemistry of hydrosphere, biosphere and atmosphere
Geochemical cycle and principles of geochemical prospecting
JPSC Environmental Geology Syllabus
Concepts and principles
Natural hazards – preventive/precautionary measures – floods, landslides, earthquakes, river and coastal erosion
Impact assessment of anthropogenic activities
Urbanization
Opencast mining and quarrying
River-valley projects
Disposal of industrial and radioactive waste
Excess withdrawal of groundwater
Use of fertilizers
Dumping of ores, mine’ waste and fly-ash
Organic and inorganic contamination of groundwater and their remedial measures
Soil degradation and remedial measures
Environment protection – legislative measures in India
Geology Paper III
Indian mineral deposits and mineral economics
Occurrence and distribution in India of metalliferous deposits base metals, iron, manganese, aluminium, chromium, nickel, gold, silver, molybdenum
Indian deposits of non-metals – mica, asbestos, barytes, gypsum, graphite, apatite and beryl
Gemstones, refractory minerals, abrasives and minerals used in glass, fertilizer, paint, ceramic and cement industries
Building stones
Phosphorite deposits
Placer deposits, rare earth minerals
Strategic, critical and essential minerals
India’s status in mineral production
Changing patterns of mineral consumption
National Mineral Policy
Mineral
Concession Rules
Marine mineral resources and Law of Sea
Ore genesis – JPSC Scientific Officer Syllabus
Ore deposits and ore minerals
Magmatic processes of mineralisation
Porphyry, skarn and hydrothermal mineralisation
Fluid inclusion studies
Mineralisation associated with (i) ultramafic, mafic and acidic rocks, (ii) greenstone belts, (iii) komatiites, anorthosites and kimberlites and (iv) submarine volcanism
Magmarelated mineralisation through geological time
Stratiform and stratabound ores
Ores and metamorphism – cause and effect relations
Mineral exploration Syllabus
Methods of surface and subsurface exploration, prospecting for economic minerals – drilling, sampling and assaying
Geophysical techniques – gravity, electrical, magnetic, airborne and seismic
Geomorphological and remote sensing techniques
Geobotanical and geochemical methods
Borehole logging and surveys for deviation
JPSC Scientific Officer Geology of fuels Syllabus
Definition, the origin of coal
Stratigraphy of coal measures
Fundamentals of coal petrology, peat, lignite, bituminous and anthracite coal
Microscopic constituents of coal
Industrial application of coal petrology
Indian coal deposits
Diagenesis of organic materials
Origin, migration and entrapment of natural hydrocarbons
Characters of source and reservoir rocks
Structural, stratigraphic and mixed traps
Techniques of exploration
Geographical and geological distributions of onshore and offshore petroliferous basins of India
Mineralogy and geochemistry of radioactive minerals
Instrumental techniques of detection and measurement of the radioactivity
Radioactive methods for prospecting and assaying of mineral deposits
Distribution of radioactive minerals in India
Radioactive methods in petroleum exploration – well logging techniques
Nuclear waste disposal – geological constraints
Engineering geology
Mechanical properties of rocks and soils
Geological investigations for river valley projects – Dams and reservoirs; tunnels – types, methods and problems
Bridges – types and foundation problems
Shoreline engineering
Landslides – classification, causes, prevention and rehabilitation
GCRI Recruitment 2019 – Apply Offline for 58 Teaching & Non-Teaching Job Vacancies. Gujarat Cancer and Research Institute Notification for 58 vacancies are circulated recently. Interested Aspirants can start with the application procedure for the GCRI Job from 26th October 2019. Get down to the following sections for the complete details regarding GCRI Teaching & Non-Teaching Jobs. Eligible Candidates looking for Cancer Research Jobs in India can use this chance.
The application for GCRI Recruitment should deliver on or before the last date 08th November 2019. Before applying for the Gujarat GCRI Recruitment Teaching and Non-Teaching posts, candidates should check for eligibility. Go through the below sections and check your eligibility further. We have provided the information on the eligibility, age limit, pay scale of the Teaching & Non-Teaching Jobs in Gujarat Cancer and Research Institute.
GCRI Ahemadabad Recruitment 2019 – Teaching & Non-Teaching Jobs
Eligibility Criteria for Gujarat Cancer and Research Institute Recruitment 2019
Educational Qualification for GCRI Recruitment 2019:
Teaching Post: Qualification and Teaching experience should be as per Medical Council of India, New Delhi and Health and Family Welfare Department Government of Gujarat.
Non-Teaching Post:
Name of the Post
Qualification
Experience
Resident Medical Officer
MBBS degree A-Post graduate diploma in Gynaecology and Obstetrics or Paediatrics or Anaesthesiology, or Radiology or Psychiatry or Clinical Pathology of Statutory university in India/ any equivalent qualifications. A Postgraduate degree of M.D. in General Medicine, Pathology, Anaesthesiology, Paediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Radio/ Diagnosis, Radiotherapy, Psychiatry or M.S. in General Surgery, E.N.T. Ophthalmology, Orthopaedics of Statutory University in India.
5 or 2 Years in State Government
Visiting Endocrinologist
M.D./ D.M. Endocrinology/ D.N.B.
An experienced Candidate will be preferred.
Visiting Neuro Physician
D.M/ D.N.B. in Neurology
Visiting Pulmo-Onco Critical Care Specialist
M.D. (Chest & T. B.)/ DNB.
Junior Resident in Palliative Medicine
MBBS
Medical Physicist Technician
B.Sc. / M.Sc. in Physics
3 years experience in a leading hospital in the concerned branch
Medical Officer
M.B.B.S. from Government Recognized Institute.
An experienced Candidate will be preferred.
Fellow in B.M.T.
M.D. in Medicine/ D.N.B. in Gen Medicine/ D.M. or D.N.B. in Medical Oncology.
–
Full-Time Critical Care Specialist
M.D. in Medicine/ M.D. in Chest & T.B. / M.D. in Anaesthesia.
2-3 years of experience in a leading hospital in the concerned branch.
Full-Time Gastroenterologist (Super Speciality)
D.M. / DNB in Gastroenterology.
Full-Time Urologist (Super Speciality)
M.S./M.Ch in Urology.
Full-Time Plastic Surgeon (Super Speciality)
M.S./ M.Ch in Plastic Surgery.
Specialist Surgical Oncology
M.Ch. / D.N.B. in Surgical Oncology.
Specialist Gynaec Oncology
M. D. / D.N.B in Gynaecology / M.Ch. in Gynaec Oncology.
Specialist Medical Oncology
D.M. / D.N.B. in Medical Oncology.
Specialist Palliative Medicine
M.D. in Palliative Medicine or M.D./M.S. in one of the following subjects, Anesthesiology, General Surgery, General Medicine, Geriatric Medicine, Paediatrics, Psychiatry, Radiotherapy
Statistical Assistant
A post-graduate degree or a second class bachelor’s degree with Statistics or Applied Statistics or Mathematical Statistics or Economics or Applied Economics or Business Economics or Econometrics or Mathematics as principal subject obtained.
–
Senior Resident Posts
Senior Resident in Surgical Oncology
M.S. D.N.B / M.Ch in Surgical Oncology.
As per prevailing rules of MCI
Senior Resident in Medical Oncology
M. D. D.N.B / D.M in Medical Oncology.
Age Limit for GCRI Recruitment 2019:
Teaching Jobs:
Post Name
Age Limit (Medical Candidate)
Contract Basis
Professor
45 Years
62 Years
Associate Professor
45 Years
Assistant Professor
43 Years
Non-Teaching Jobs:
Post Name
Upper Age Limit
Resident Medical Officer
35 Years
Junior Resident in Palliative Medicine
Medical Physicist Technician
Medical Officer
Fellow in B.M.T.
Full-Time Critical Care Specialist
40 Years
Full-Time Gastroenterologist (Super Speciality)
Full-Time Urologist (Super Speciality)
Full-Time Plastic Surgeon (Super Speciality)
Statistical Assistant
35 Years
Senior Resident in Surgical Oncology
Senior Resident in Medical Oncology
Application Fee:
Refer to the GCRI Recruitment 2019 Notification given below.
GCRI Recruitment 2019 – Salary Details:
Non-Teaching Jobs:
Specialist – Rs. 1,70,000/- PM
Other Non-teaching Jobs – As per rules.
Teaching Job:
Post Name
Pay Scale
Salary
Professor
PB – 4
Rs. 37,400 – Rs. 67,000/-
Associate Professor
PB – 4
Rs. 37,400 – Rs. 67,000/-
Assistant Professor
PB – 3
Rs. 15,600 – Rs. 39,100/-
GCRI Recruitment – Selection Process:
Interview.
How to Apply Offline for Gujarat Cancer and Research Institute Careers 2019?
Download & go through the official notification carefully given below.
Know the eligibility criteria necessary for the GCRI Recruitment.
If you are eligible, then download the GCRI application form given below.
Fill in your details in the form and paste the recent passport size photograph.
Attach the necessary documents with the form.
Check once and post the form to the prescribed address before the last date.
Postal Address:
Director, The Gujarat Cancer & Research Institute, Civil Hospital Campus, Asarwa, Ahmedabad – 380016
447 – Assistant Engineer (AE), Law Officer (LO) & Dental Surgeon (DS)
[04-11-2019]
About Gujarat Cancer and Research Institute (GCRI)
The Gujarat Cancer and Research Institute has been driving the battle against the danger of malignant growth with ultra-current treatment munitions stockpile, propelled inquire about, preventive consideration and extreme network awareness. The establishment stone was laid on January 26, 1962, and building arranging was done under the direction of top specialists of the nation, Atomic vitality commission and WHO. The administering committee set out an approach for tolerating gifts from the network. Because of this approach and indefatigable endeavors of the workplace bearers of the general public, and above all individuals’ trust in them, began the unconstrained progression of gifts from over the globe in building a foundation of the individuals, by the individuals and for the individuals of Gujarat and its neighboring state.
The Govt of Gujarat conceded extra 3.3 section of land to address the issue for Research, Registry, organization, and treatment building. In February 1972 with joint endeavors of Government of Gujarat and Gujarat Cancer Society under a tripartite understanding solidified the development of an independent establishment which has throughout the years transformed into present structure of one of the most current 650 slept with Comprehensive Cancer Care Center of the nation known as The Gujarat Cancer and Research Institute (G.C.&R.I.) .
NEW DELHI: An already strained telecom sector stares at bankruptcy-driven shrinkage, burdening banks with a fresh load of bad loans, and leaving consumers to the tender mercies of a virtual duopoly, following the recent Supreme Court order that allows the government to extort a share of telecom companies' non-telecom revenues since 2003, along with penalty and interest.The government must sort this mess out, not just for the sake of the telecom sector but to redeem India's reputation as a country where it is still possible to do business. For this, the government would have to find the courage to exorcise the ghost of 'notional loss to the exchequer' let loose by former Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) Vinod Rai, whose wild estimate of the government having lost up to Rs 1,76,000 crore by allocating, rather than auctioning off, spectrum while granting a clutch of licences in late 2007, paved the way for mass hysteria over corruption, cancellation by the Supreme Court of 122 telecom licences, the arrest and jailing of a senior civil servant for alleged corruption and resultant policy paralysis that endures to this day and manifests itself as officials refusing to settle bills for any work done for the government until a court orders them to.It is a different matter that a trial court subsequently threw out the charge of a scam in the allocation of telecom licences along with a chunk of spectrum bundled with each licence. But the damage had been done. Many foreign companies that had invested large sums in Indian telecom — Malaysia's Maxis, Norway's Telenor and Russia's Sistema — made heavy losses with the cancellation of their licences and exited India, shrinking competition in the sector and damaging India's reputation for ease of doing business.If the government now takes policy decisions to give struggling telecom companies a financial reprieve, someone is bound to accuse the government of causing loss to the exchequer. The government must have the courage to face that accusation and still act. Because the last straw on telecom's back was placed by the government itself.Supreme Court Erred…When the government allowed telcos to migrate, in 1999, from a fixed-licence fee they had bid to get the licence, to a share of the revenue, it prevented the sector from dying. The government promised to consult the sector regulator Trai while determining what constituted the adjusted gross revenue that should be shared with the government as licence fee.Trai and the sectoral tribunal, TDSAT, made sensible recommendations on what items of revenue should constitute shareable revenue and what items of revenue should be kept out of the shareable revenue. They essentially followed the logic that any activity that flowed from having a telecom licence should be part of the shareable revenue, while other elements should be kept out.Treasury management proceeds, capital gains on sale of property and the like were, naturally, kept out.However, the government stipulated, as a licence condition, that all of a telco's revenue would be shareable. When the telcos protested, TDSAT ruled in their favour. But the government appealed to the Supreme Court, which has finally ruled in the government's favour, essentially on the ground that the telcos agreed to the licence conditions when they accepted the licence.…At Government's BehestThat the State has the power to do something does not constitute justification for doing it. Not in a democracy or a market economy. There has to be a rationale, the principle that might is right does not cut it.The claim on the telcos arising from the Supreme Court allowing the government's anti-business grab of non-telecom revenue is about Rs 1.42 lakh crore. Of this, the claim on Airtel and Vodafone-Idea are together more than Rs 80,000 crore.The government can waive the entire amount. That would amount to admitting it was wrong to pursue the case. Or it could waive the penalty and interest and stagger payment of the principal, as a pragmatic compromise. Or it could do something smart.Airtel and Vodafone-Idea still have a large subscriber base locked into 2G because they cannot afford a 4G phone. 2G calls are spectrum-intensive and inefficient. If 2G telephony could be switched off, a lot of spectrum would be freed up. There are multiple ways to monetise the spectrum freed up in this fashion.The Universal Service Obligation Fund has nearly Rs 50,000 crore of idle funds. It could swap old phones for new 4G handsets. Or the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund could put up the money for the new handsets and be compensated with high-value 2G spectrum, which can be redeployed for 4G or 5G services. Or SoftBank or any private equity fund could do this, directly or investing in the telcos, so that they could retain and use the freed-up spectrum.Whatever the specific form of intervention to prevent the telecom sector from imploding, it would entail State action to help private companies, even if it is limited to allowing redeployment of 2G spectrum. Does the government have the stomach for it?
A Mumbai-based brokerage firm said there is "no perceivable inconsistency" in key data points shared by Infosys as alleged by anonymous whistleblowers in a recent letter. This report comes at a time when the USSEC has initiated an investigation.ET reported that a group calling themselves 'ethical employees' had filed a whistleblower statement with the Infosys board and the US Securities and Exchange Commission, stating the company is taking 'unethical' steps to boost short-term revenue and profits to boost its stock. The whistleblowers have alleged that the company was bending rules around large deals and revenue recognition to boost growth at the expense of margins and trying to prevent the recognition of visa costs in the quarter to improve profitability in the second quarter.ICICI Securities said in a report released on Tuesday that it did not find any irregularities since Infosys has always been clear that certain deals such as Verizon and Stater should be seen as 'investments made to build relationships with strategic clients with an anticipation margins on these deals expected to remain dilutive to company average for long'.The brokerage firm has upgraded its rating on Infosys from hold to buy. "What has exacerbated investor's response to the whistleblower allegations was the absence of proactive disclosures by the company," said ICICI Securities in its report. It said the impact has also aggravated as allegations are not looked at in isolation but in the context of Ranganath Mavinakere former CFO and Jayesh Sanghrajka moving on from the company since Salil has taken over. "Looking at the allegations in isolation, some of the data points shared by Infosys, like Verizon deal being margin dilutive by 40 basis points or visa costs being a margin drag of 80 basis points in Q1 FY20 or Stater deal being dilutive by 40 basis points is consistent with the nature of these deals and investments in our opinion," wrote Kuldeep Koul and Hardik Sangani, IT sector analysts at ICICI Securities. According to the report, "net-new" deals are an important data point to consider, the importance of retaining renewals cannot be underestimated.
MUMBAI: Amid speculation of an income tax cut, Singaporean bank DBS on Tuesday said confidence on jobs front is necessary to achieve the move's long-term objective of pushing consumption spending. The government had last month announced a ten percentage point cut in corporate taxes, to get Indian levies at par with others, to spur investments. With an eye on pushing up the sagging personal consumption, which is blamed as one of the key culprits for economic growth sliding to a six-year low, the government is mulling to cut the income tax, according to reports. "Short-term fillip to consumption spending is likely, while a sustained improvement will require confidence in employment prospects and a sustained push towards raising job creation," house economists at the bank wrote. It added that while lower tax outgoes lead to jump in discretionary spend on white goods and travel, but will not lead to a jump in high-value spending in sectors such as real estate, which is also among those hits. A recent consumer confidence survey undertaken by RBI also leads to a "sombre reading", it said, pointing out that as the current and future expectations index extended the decline in September. Meanwhile, the economists also welcomed the divestment measures undertaken by the government in order to make up for the revenue shortfall which may occur because of the corporate tax cuts. They also said that the actual revenue shortfall can turn out to be lower than the projected Rs 1.45 lakh crore because firms are not embracing the newer system.
A pilot warned the plane was "running rampant."In November 2016, well before the 737 Max was certified by the Federal Aviation Administration, the plane's chief technical pilot told a colleague that a new system on the plane was "running rampant" in simulator tests. The pilot, Mark Forkner, went on to say that he had unknowingly lied to regulators.In a January 2017 email, two months after acknowledging that he "unknowingly" lied to regulators, Forkner again pushed the FAA to remove mention of the system, known as MCAS, from pilot training materials."Delete MCAS," Forkner wrote. In aerospace speak, he described the system as "way outside the normal operating envelope," meaning that it would only activate in rare situations that pilots would almost never encounter in normal passenger flights.But the instant messages to his colleague show that Forkner appeared to realize in November that MCAS was causing issues in the simulator and making it difficult to gain control of the plane.The messages, which were made public this month, raise serious new questions about what Boeing knew about the new system, known as MCAS, which played a role in both crashes.During the hearing before Congress, Muilenburg, Boeing's chief executive, said that the company had not been able to speak to Forkner, who now works for Southwest Airlines, about the messages.However, when asked when he learned of the messages from Forkner, Muilenburg said: "I believe it was prior to the second crash."Lawmakers also asked why Boeing, which has known about the messages for months, waited so long to hand the messages over to Congress and the FAA."Boeing should have notified the FAA about that conversation upon its discovery immediately," Sen. Roger Wicker, chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, said in his opening statement.The Times was the first to report on Forkner's involvement in the Max, revealing that during the plane's development, he asked the FAA to remove mention of MCAS from the training manual.The families of crash victims demanded accountability.As Muilenburg left the room at the end of his testimony, Nadia Milleron, mother of Samya Stumo, a victim of the crash in Ethiopia, asked him to "turn and look at people when you say you're sorry." He turned around, looked her in the eye, and said "I'm sorry."Milleron said she wanted Muilenburg to step down. She and other family members of victims held posters of their loved ones."He needs to resign, I will say that to his face," said Milleron, before Muilenburg began his testimony. "I think he's very bad for Boeing, he's very bad for the U.S., he's very bad for safety. He should resign, the whole board should resign."Muilenberg admitted "we made some mistakes."Muilenburg, who has been criticized for his response to the crashes, appeared emotional in his opening remarks at a hearing of the Senate commerce committee."We are sorry," he said, addressing his remarks to the families of the crash victims. "Deeply and truly sorry."Muilenburg outlined changes being made to the Max and the company in response to the crashes. "We've been challenged and changed by these accidents," he said. "We made some mistakes, and we got some things wrong."His opening remarks came after Sens. Roger Wicker and Maria Cantwell made sharp opening statements about Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration."One thing is crystal clear," Cantwell said. "If you want to be the leader in aviation manufacturing, you have to be the leader in aviation safety."The FAA's oversight of the plane's development was a big focus.As the 737 Max was developed, it was Boeing employees working on behalf of the FAA, not government inspectors, who signed off on many aspects of the plane. This system of so-called delegation, which lets manufacturers sign off on their own work, is under scrutiny.Investigations by The New York Times have revealed that Boeing employees sometimes felt pressure to play down safety concerns and meet deadlines, that key FAA officials didn't fully understand MCAS and that the FAA office in Seattle that oversees Boeing was seen inside the regulator as excessively deferential to the company."We cannot have a race for commercial airplanes become a race to the bottom when it comes to safety. The company, the board cannot prioritize profits over safety," Senator Maria Cantwell, a Democrat from Washington, where Boeing has its major operations, said in her opening statement.Boeing and its allies in industry also waged a years long lobbying campaign to get the FAA to delegate even more to the company, an effort that paid off with the passage of last year's FAA reauthorization act. Now, lawmakers are questioning whether the entire system of certifying airplanes needs an overhaul."No matter what we did last year, we need to be pulling some of that back into the public sphere, and take some of it out of the hands of industry," Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Wash., told The Times.
At Citibank's offices in Chennai and Delhi, two Japanese nationals are performing a very special role the 200-year- old financial giant has never tried before. These executives have been specially relocated from Tokyo to liaise with corporate giants such as Hitachi, Honda, Panasonic and conglomerates like Mitsubishi that sell power turbines to auto components in India.Citi, which claims nearly a third of the market share in the multinational business, has also similar desks to service South Korea's chaebols like Samsung and Hyundai, which dominate the domestic electronics and automobile markets but keen to retain their global trading volume amid disruptions in global supply chain due to the US-China trade war.It isn't just that. There is also a special China-Taiwan desk the bank started earlier this year in Mumbai as it bets on the potential for India's trade to expand within Asia and also an opportunity to get a pie of global manufacturing.With the simmering dispute between the US and China redefining global trade, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Act East' policy paves the way for banks and financial institutions to find new means to engage with countries in the East, which though have strong trade partnerships with India, are not as big as traditional partners like the US, China and the UAE. This could open new avenues for business from foreign currency financing, banking accounts, capital remittances and cross sell and trade flows."We clearly saw that Asia to Asia (trade) is going to be a much big emerging trend in the country about 24 months ago," says K Balasubramanian, head, corporate banking, South Asia for Citibank, who has been driving this initiative. "This corridor is growing at 51% in terms of revenues for us. It's all driven by the government agenda, which said 'Act East' from 'Look East'. We have invested in terms of headcount and road shows in these places. Earlier, the focus was on the US and Europe. Now, we have made it a point that every quarter someone from India has to be there in each of these markets."THE FTA BOOSTJapan and South Korea are among the largest of the nine countries that India has a free trade agreement (FTA) with. India also has a FTA with the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), namely Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Brunei, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.Trade data show that the signing of an FTA has given a fillip to trade between India and these countries. For example, bilateral trade between India and Japan increased 72% to $17.7 billion in 2018-19 from $10.3 billion in 2009-10. The two countries signed the FTA in February 2011.Similarly, trade between India and South Korea increased 79% to $21.5 billion in 2018-19 from $12 billion in 2009-10. The FTA between the two countries was signed in August 2009. Trade between India and Asean has seen a sharper growth in the period, more than doubling to $96.8 billion in 2018-19 from $43.9 billion in 2009-10 at the time of signing the FTA.To be sure, despite the rise in trade after FTAs were signed, numbers are still lower in comparison with the US and China — India's top two trading partners. Trade between India and the US increased two-anda-half times to $87.9 billion in 2018-19 from $36.5 billion in 2009-10. Trade with China is also almost identical at $87.1 billion in 2018-19 from $42.4 billion in 2009-10.However, India is looking to reduce its dependence on traditionally strong trading partners to diversify its markets even as countries like the US relook at their relationships with countries includingIndia and China with which it runs a trade deficit.US-CHINA STANDOFFThe spectacular US-China trade standoff threatens to alter the relationship between two of the world's largest economies, redraw trading boundaries and open global trade to new opportunities. Bankers say that these changes could provide opportunities for countries like India, which are large and growing."Some Japanese companies are looking at India as an alternative to China in light of the US-China tussle. It all depends on how this tussle pans out. But meanwhile, we are already seeing some Japanese companies, which use China as a manufacturing base, shift out of that country, mainly due to increasing labour and raw material costs. This trend has been visible for some time now, but has been beneficial for other countries like Vietnam," said Junsuke Koike, regional executive (India and Sri Lanka), MUFG Bank.Indeed initial signs are that countries like Vietnam, Bangladesh, Mexico and Brazil have made the most of the US-China standoff. In August, for example, news reports said US tech giants Google and Apple were considering moving their smartphone and speaker production out of China to Vietnam.US farm exports to China are also being eyed by South American countries like Brazil and Argentina. China is already considering allowing more soy meal imports from Brazil and Argentina as it seeks to diversify its imports from the US.Economists say how countries like Brazil have moved to corner trade from China in light of this trade war tells us a lot about what is wrong with India's competitiveness. "Logically speaking, India should be a natural substitute for the US in the Chinese scheme of things, but countries as far off as Brazil have come in and made the most of it. We have seen a similar story pan out in other areas like textiles, for example, which was considered a strong point for the country but now has been replaced by Vietnam and Bangladesh," said Udit Kumar, senior economist at Aditya Birla Group.India's exports, including merchandise and services, increased to more than $500 billion, but is well short of the government's stated target of $900 billion for the five-year period, which started in 2015. 71812853 Economists and bankers say that the US-China trade war is a good opportunity for India to boost its exports as these two countries and their trading partners will look to diversify their sources of business. However, they are not so confident on whether India has the wherewithal to take advantage of this opportunity."India does not have the skill and capabilities to leverage this trade war. Countries like Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand and even some African countries have already got a head start. The structural issues discourage exporters wanting to expand business with restrictive labour laws. Then, there are longstanding issues with regard to infrastructure, logistics and transport," said Kavita Chacko, senior economist at Care Ratings.CHALLENGING TIMESBesides global competition, India will also have to deal with the a slowing domestic and world economy, uncertainty with respect to currencies and heightened geopolitical concerns which will bloat its import bills due to higher oil prices."Overall global trade continues to be weak," said Suresh Khatanhar, executive director at IDBI Bank. "Even sectors like gems and jewellery, which are a small but lucrative portion of India's trade, are showing signs of weakness. Though Asia will become the hub of global trade in the foreseeable future because of its better resource mobilisation, demographic and technological advantages, we need to wait and watch to see how long these challenging times last."Citibank's Balasubramanian expects India's trade to expand to other corridors in Asia, away from western countries like the US and UK."Traditionally, Japan was active and second was Korea," says Balasubramanian. "In the last five years, China and Taiwan have been becoming very big in India. In the last five years, FDI from China was at $22 billion. India is also a mitigation strategy for them in terms of accessing the US market. They believe what India is today is what China was 20 years back. The consumption story is just picking up and disposable incomes are rising. In mobile phones, for example, they control 35% of market share and 75% of the bottom-end of the sector."Citibank hopes that the new China-Taiwan desk that the bank has started in Mumbai will help the bank cater to this growing market. However, to take advantage of this corridor, India will have to find new avenues to reduce its trade deficit, which at $53 billion, is the highest in fiscal 2019.To add heft to the shifting trade routes is the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, or RCEP, a grouping of 16 economies with a FTA that has total trade value of $2.8 trillion."India is on the table as are other countries as people look to move their supply lines," says Jamie Dimon, chief executive of JPMorgan Chase. "If I were India, I would look at it the other way around and think about how I could attract some of the companies that are moving out from China."Geopolitical tensions, new groupings of trading partners and best taxation structures have all probably aligned to provide a platform for smart banks to grab their share.
NEW DELHI: American beverages major Coca-Cola is close to finalising deals to sell part of its bottling operations in India to three franchise bottling partners, three officials directly aware of the developments said.The combined value of the deals in the first phase of the selloff is estimated at Rs 1,500-2,000 crore, one of the officials said."The company-owned Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages (HCCB) is in final stages of negotiations to divest its plants to Moon Beverages, Ladhani Group and the Kandhari Group," another official said. "All three have been longstanding franchise bottlers of Coca-Cola India, and the size of the deals vary depending on the plant capacity and infrastructure."The deals are expected to be closed next month.A Coca-Cola India spokesperson in an email revert said: "This news is speculative and as a matter of policy we do not comment on speculation."71812768 Officials at the independent franchise bottlers with whom Coca-Cola is in talks with could not be reached for comment.HCCB has 18 plants and accounts for two-thirds of Coca-Cola India's volumes. The maker of Coke and Thums Up colas alsohas 13 independent franchise bottlers. For 2018-19, HCCB saw 373% year-onyear increase in net profit at ?322 crore, according to data from business research platform Tofler. Revenues for the year had increased 4% at ?9,455 crore.The move to refranchise bottling operations is in line with Coca-Cola's global strategy to divest asset-heavy operations."Refranchising brings down fixed costs significantly since it reduces employee headcount and reduces built-in costs of distribution, leading to higher profitability," one of the officials cited earlier said."Operating costs of global companies are significantly higher and selling concentrate and other brand-building functions are more profitable."In June this year, Coca-Cola had named a new head for M&A and new ventures—the first such vertical in India to focus on acquisitions and divestments. The maker of Sprite soft drink and Minute Maid juice said in a post earnings call last fortnight that better growth in India and China had helped it post 4% volume growth in the Asia Pacific region.Announcing earnings for the July-September 2019 quarter, the company's Atlanta headquarters said better growth in its packaged water business in India contributed to global business. It also said expansion of its premium water business in India under the Smartwater franchise had grown 'successfully' and become the second-largest premium water brand in the market. It added India is now the fourth-largest market globally for Smartwater.Recent launches included new variants of Minute Maid juices, Georgia hot and cold tea and coffee, Aquarius water and Aquarius Glucocharge and Smartwater, as aerated drinks sales remain soft on health concerns by consumers.
By Chandan TapariaNifty50 opened flattish on Tuesday but witnessed strong buying momentum throughout the session to extend its gains towards the 11,810 mark. It formed a bullish candle on the daily scale, as followup buying emerged at higher levels. The index managed to surpass its consolidation band between 11,550 and 11,700 levels after six sessions even as supports shifted higher gradually.Now, it needs to hold above 11,700 to witness an up-move towards 11,850 and then 12,000 levels, while on the downside, supports are seen at 11,700 and then 11,650 levels.On the monthly options front, maximum Put open interest was at 11,700 followed by 11,600 levels, while maximum Call OI was at 12,000 followed by 11,800 levels. There was Call writing at 11,900 and 11,800 levels, while meaningful Put writing was seen at 11,700 and then 11,750 levels. Options data suggested a shift in trading range to 11,600-12,000 zone.India VIX moved up 5.39% to 16.42 level.Bank Nifty continued its positive momentum and gradually extended its gains towards 30,000 level. It formed a bullish candle on the daily scale, as the bulls held a tight grip and managed to surpass its crucial hurdle at 29,750 level. Supports shifted higher gradually. Nifty now needs to hold above 29,700 to witness an up-move towards 30,000 and then 30,250 levels, while on the downside supports are seen at 29,500 and then 29,250 levels.Nifty futures closed positive at 11,797 with a gain of 1.48%. Long buildup was seen in Tata Motors, YES Bank, Tata Steel and JSW Steel while shorts were seen in Bharti Infratel and Ultratech Cement.(Chandan Taparia is Technical & Derivative Analyst at MOFSL. Investors are advised to consult financial advisers before taking an investment calls based on these observations)
WASHINGTON: In the midst of what became a golden decade for the US Federal Reserve, central bankers twice in the 1990s cut interest rates in short bursts that managed to help the US economy continue growing despite slowing investment and weak growth overseas.Today's Fed hopes a third time proves just as charmed.In their latest two-day policy meeting this week, Fed officials look set to nudge the economy along in similar fashion with their third consecutive rate cut. That would match the moves made by then-Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan in 1995 and 1998 during an era known as "the Great Moderation" for its steady growth, falling unemployment and tempered inflation.There's been no clear commitment to another reduction in borrowing costs from Fed policymakers, though a failure to lower rates on Wednesday could risk upending financial markets that are confident another cut is coming. With billions of dollars in bets on futures markets tied to anticipated Fed actions, any deviation by the US central bank from the expected course typically leads to sharp swings in bond and stock markets.A rate cut on Wednesday, which would be the Fed's third this year, would lower the overnight benchmark lending rate to a new range of between 1.5 per cent and 1.75 per cent. Policymakers may emphasize that "the three cuts cumulatively have served to balance the risks to the outlook," and will likely keep the economy on track, JP Morgan economist Michael Feroli wrote last week.The Fed is scheduled to announce its latest policy decision at 2 p.m. EDT on Wednesday (1800 GMT). Fed Chair Jerome Powell will hold a news conference half an hour later.Policymakers likely won't shut the door to further action, but may "communicate patience in deciding future policy moves," TD Securities analysts wrote last week.GAINING LEEWAYInvestors have no firm opinion on when the Fed will move again after Wednesday, a signal to Powell and his colleagues that if they deliver the expected cut this week they will have room to shape market expectations moving forward.According to CME Group's FedWatch tool https://www.cmegroup.com/trading/interest-rates/countdown-to-fomc.html, the probability of a rate reduction on Wednesday stands at 94 per cent. After that, however, it's a coin toss whether there will be any further change for at least a year.That in itself is a success for Powell. Beginning last fall, the Fed confronted a widening gap between what policymakers at that point thought would be continued rate hikes, and the expectations of investors who began factoring rate cuts into their outlook as a global economic slowdown took hold around the intensifying US-China trade war.The Fed, under pressure to lower rates from President Donald Trump but also watching US investment and manufacturing data weaken, reversed course early this year.Financial markets have responded with largely easier borrowing conditions, and lower rates on important benchmarks like 30-year home mortgages. Key aspects of the bond market, watched by some Fed officials as evidence of faith or lack of it in near-term economic growth, have been looking steadily healthier.Some of the ongoing problems like the trade war with China and the prospect of a disorderly British exit from the European Union also have lightened, at least a bit.That has helped narrow the gap between the Fed and global market expectations.It may have helped narrow gaps within the US central bank as well. Even those Fed officials who have been most eager to cut rates now feel that one more quarter-percentage-point reduction should be adequate for the year.THEN AND NOWToday's circumstances share a number of similarities with those confronting the Fed roughly a quarter of a century ago.In July 1995, Fed officials, as now, debated whether slower-than-expected growth would impair business investment, spilling over into hiring plans and, ultimately, household spending.Just as weak growth in Europe is seen as a risk for US companies today, a weak outlook for Canada and Japan was a concern then, according to minutes of the meeting at which the Fed adopted the first of three rate cuts in six months."During the last six weeks my optimism has diminished," said former Fed Chair Janet Yellen, who was president of the San Francisco Fed at the time. Without action by the Fed "we could easily end up, I think, in an extended growth recession."Fast-forward to the present, and again the economic data has not been great.The most recent jobs and retail sales reports were both weak. Economists polled by Reuters expect economic growth slowed in the third quarter to an annual rate of 1.7 per cent, from a 2 per cent pace in the second quarter. The advance estimate of gross domestic product is due to be released on Wednesday, before the Fed concludes its policy meeting.As the 1990s proceeded, it took two such rounds of "mid-cycle adjustment," about two years apart and each involving three rate cuts of a quarter of a percentage point each, to keep that recovery on track. It was derailed by the bursting of the dot-com stock market bubble, with a recession starting in March, 2001.The expansion since the 2007-2009 financial crisis and recession has already eclipsed the 1990s to become the most prolonged period of sustained growth in US history.While the pace has sometimes been tepid, Powell and his colleagues argue there is no reason it can't keep going, and have pledged to act "as appropriate" to try to make it so.At a speech in Denver earlier this month, Powell nodded to both the risks facing the US economy, but also to its ongoing growth.On balance, "this feels very sustainable," he said.
A Mumbai-based brokerage firm said there is "no perceivable inconsistency" in key data points shared by Infosys as alleged by anonymous whistleblowers in a recent letter. This report comes at a time when the USSEC has initiated an investigation.ET reported that a group calling themselves 'ethical employees' had filed a whistleblower statement with the Infosys board and the US Securities and Exchange Commission, stating the company is taking 'unethical' steps to boost short-term revenue and profits to boost its stock. The whistleblowers have alleged that the company was bending rules around large deals and revenue recognition to boost growth at the expense of margins and trying to prevent the recognition of visa costs in the quarter to improve profitability in the second quarter.ICICI Securities said in a report released on Tuesday that it did not find any irregularities since Infosys has always been clear that certain deals such as Verizon and Stater should be seen as 'investments made to build relationships with strategic clients with an anticipation margins on these deals expected to remain dilutive to company average for long'.The brokerage firm has upgraded its rating on Infosys from hold to buy. "What has exacerbated investor's response to the whistleblower allegations was the absence of proactive disclosures by the company," said ICICI Securities in its report. It said the impact has also aggravated as allegations are not looked at in isolation but in the context of Ranganath Mavinakere former CFO and Jayesh Sanghrajka moving on from the company since Salil has taken over. "Looking at the allegations in isolation, some of the data points shared by Infosys, like Verizon deal being margin dilutive by 40 basis points or visa costs being a margin drag of 80 basis points in Q1 FY20 or Stater deal being dilutive by 40 basis points is consistent with the nature of these deals and investments in our opinion," wrote Kuldeep Koul and Hardik Sangani, IT sector analysts at ICICI Securities. According to the report, "net-new" deals are an important data point to consider, the importance of retaining renewals cannot be underestimated.
Weaponisation by China a threat: U.S. Admiral Increased weaponisation by China is a threat to all "free and like-minded countries", said Admiral John C. Aquilino, U.S. Pacific Fleet commander, on
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