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Huawei says its equipment as secure as any, pans U.S. campaign

FILE PHOTO: People walk past a sign board of Huawei at CES Asia 2016 in Shanghai
FILE PHOTO: People walk past a sign board of Huawei at CES (Consumer Electronics Show) Asia 2016 in Shanghai, China May 12, 2016. REUTERS/Aly Song/File Photo

April 11, 2019

By Foo Yun Chee

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – China’s Huawei Technologies said on Thursday the security of its telecoms network equipment was as tight as any, and hit back at the U.S. government for briefing Washington’s allies against it.

Huawei, the global market leader, is the target of a campaign by Washington, which has barred it from next-generation 5G networks due to concerns over its ties to the Chinese government and says Western countries should block its technology.

The issue is crucial because of 5G’s leading role in internet-connected products ranging from self-driving cars and smart cities to augmented reality and artificial intelligence.

“We are probably the most tested vendor in the world,” Huawei’s cybersecurity director Sophie Batas told journalists at its new cybersecurity center in Brussels.

She criticized comments by Robert Strayer, U.S. State Department deputy assistant secretary for cyber, international communications and information policy, who told journalists on Wednesday that countries adopting risk-based security frameworks for 5G would lead to Huawei being banned.

“I have difficulty believing that a government like the United States organized a press conference yesterday to single out one particular company, and I wonder why it is going so far,” she said.

The two countries are also embroiled in a long-running trade dispute.

Batas said there were a range of tests customers could do on Huawei products at the center and similar facilities in several countries, as well as hiring independent third party evaluators.

She said law firms Zhong Lun, Clifford Chance and Ernst & Young had looked into China’s intelligence laws and concluded that did not allow Beijing to install backdoor features in a company’s equipment.

Last month, Germany set tougher criteria for vendors supplying telecoms network equipment there, but stopped short of singling out Huawei, instead saying the same rules should apply to all vendors.

(Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; editing by John Stonestreet)

Source: OANN

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Moscow feels vindicated in the wake of “no collusion”

A sense of victory and vindication emanated from the Kremlin on Monday, following the revelation that the special counsel concluded there was no evidence that Trump team had colluded with Russia for a 2016 presidential victory.

“It is hard to find a black cat in a dark room, especially if it is not there,” said Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov – who has long dismissed any allegations of connivance – in a call with journalists on Monday, referencing a Chinese philosopher. “Centuries have passed, but unfortunately there has been no understanding of this on the other side of the ocean.”

In a four-page letter to Congress released Sunday, Attorney General William Barr said “the Special Counsel did not find that the Trump campaign, or anyone associated with it, conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in these efforts, despite multiple offers from Russia-affiliated individuals to assist the Trump campaign.”

“The agents of conspiracy theory have been discredited,” wrote Alexey Pushkov, a foreign affairs specialist in the upper house of parliament, tweeted – pointing to Democratic and media attempts to push a theory of collusion. “From now on, only an idiot can believe them.”

FORMER CLINTON ADVISER SAYS DEMOCRATS RISK BACKLASH IF THEY DON’T ACCEPT MUELLER FINDINGS AND MOVE ON

He also contended that the “biased, artificial, provocative, conspiratorial, designed-to-fuel hatred toward Trump campaign” had a second objective, which was to “demonize Russia and prevent any U.S. moves towards better relations with Moscow.”

The Russian Embassy in the United Kingdom also took aim at those who maintained the narrative that Trump’s campaign did indeed conspire with Russia for election victory.

“That awkward moment when another anti-Russian fake crumbles to dust,” the official tweet said. “Excuses, anyone?

And for Konstantin Kosachyov, chairman of the foreign affairs committee in the upper house of parliament, it was both an “I told you so” moment and a moment of regret over two withered years of deteriorating Russia-U.S. ties.

“Mueller’s long-awaited report proved what was known in Russia from the very beginning,” he wrote in a Facebook post on Monday. “Two years of unceasing lies. Two years of the highest-level policy built on the allegation of collusion. A conspiracy explaining the allegedly pro-Russian position of Trump, because of which he was essentially forced to impose more and more stringent measures against our country."

Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, shakes hands with U.S. National security adviser John Bolton during their meeting in the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2018. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, shakes hands with U.S. National security adviser John Bolton during their meeting in the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2018. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

Kosachyov also sought some kind of reconciliation.

"That is why two years were not just lost for Russian-American relations, but simply crushing for them,” he continued. “Someone will answer for this damage? Someone apologize? Someone will adjust something?"

Moreover, Russian media, which is mostly owned or overseen by authorities, didn’t waste any time in boasting about the report.

According to Vitali Shkliarov, an expert in U.S.-Russian relations and former senior adviser to Russian opposition presidential candidate Ksenia Sobchak, the news about the Mueller report was “received with great enthusiasm’ in the former Soviet nation.

“This is a topic that has garnered a great deal of interest and attention there,” he told Fox News. “There was wide coverage about the announcement of the results, much of it tinged with sarcasm. Even liberal politicians seem pleased with the results and are critical of the length and cost of the investigation.”

One anchor of the popular Moscow daytime political show “Time Will Tell” stated on Monday that “the investigation was useless” and “its results proved that it was useless.”

Nonetheless, scores of political pundits, analysts and anti-Trump advocates in the United States still beg to differ on the summary. Many have voiced skepticism of Barr’s findings, while also emphasizing the fact that the attorney general’s summary said Mueller had reached no explicit resolution on whether or not Trump had attempted to obstruct justice.

HOLLYWOOD STARS APOPLECTIC OVER MUELLER PROBE FINDINGS: 'YOU CAN’T INDICT A HAM SANDWICH'

But that, too, became fodder for laughs among the Moscow media.

A "Russia Today" headline on Monday was titled “Mueller meltdown: #Resistance licks wounds, MAGA camp enjoys salty popcorn & meme.”

The Moscow-funded outlet crowed that as the “Russiagate conspiracy theory disintegrates in the wake of the Mueller report’s conclusions, resistance (on) Twitter is struggling to cope, while Trump supporters are basking in the foes’ suffering.”

“The reality-based community could only look on in amazement. And laugh,” the article continued, underscoring those who “screeched about a cover-up.”

Putin and Trump souvenirs for sale in Moscow

Putin and Trump souvenirs for sale in Moscow (Fox News/Hollie McKay)

According to data exclusively obtained by Fox News from Sc2 Corp, a private analytics firm that combs online and social media data for the Special operations and national security community-based in Clearwater, Fla., the overall analogy was that few in Russia expressed surprise over the Mueller findings. The news prompted a spike in user engagement in Russia, with "positive sentiment" towards the news outweighing negative sentiment, but much of the engagement on the issue was relatively neutral.

"Russians are more concerned about internal 'Troll Farms' fomenting dissension and division at home and abroad," one of the firm's data experts noted.

Trump, who has from the very beginning framed the Mueller probe as a “witch hunt,” also claimed a triumph over the weekend, and questions have since swirled as to what that means for the Washington-Moscow accord in the near future.

“Russia is celebrating. There may not have been coordination with the campaign, but the U.S. intelligence community had documented extensive influence operations,” said Brett Bruen, a former U.S. diplomat who previously served as Director of Global Engagement at the White House. “I am very worried that Moscow will interpret this report as a bright green light to accelerate their influence operations. The Mueller report is the perfect tool to try and further divide Americans who have dramatically opposing interpretations of his decision.”

Nonetheless, other experts see a positive path for a genuine relationship reset.

“No one in Russia expects immediate changes, especially in respect to sanctions, but most believe that by the end of this year there will be more constructive dialogue and a real potential for improvement in our bilateral relations,” observed Kendall Coffey, a former U.S. Attorney, and lawyer in foreign affairs. “Trump’s original goal of exploring ways to improve Russia relations has been paralyzed by the investigative processes. While political resistance will remain, he is now able to focus his efforts on what is best for the United States.”

NO TRUMP MEETING THIS TRIP, BUT PUTIN'S STAGE-MANAGING ALWAYS A FACTOR

But Luke Coffey, director of the Allison Center for Foreign Policy at The Heritage Foundation cautioned there are many more obstacles impeding diplomatic ties beyond the Mueller matter.

“Russia invaded and occupies a large section of Ukraine, and continues to occupy a large section of Georgia. Both of these countries are U.S. partners. Russia also continues to prop up Assad, which allows the civil war in Syria to continue,” he noted. “Moscow is also showing support for the Maduro regime in Venezuela, thus prolonging the suffering there. Until Russia stops its regional aggression and malign activity, U.S.-Russia relations can never get back on track.”

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Yet others predict the worst may be yet to come.

“In the larger context, those who lean against Trump will continue to destabilize the presidency,” added one source closely connected to the investigation. “This will only fuel efforts of Democrats to mess with the President.”

Source: Fox News Politics

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IMF’s Lagarde says Brexit extension avoids ‘terrible outcome’

FILE PHOTO: IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde delivers a speech in Washington
FILE PHOTO: International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Christine Lagarde delivers a speech at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington, U.S., April 2, 2019. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo

April 11, 2019

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde said on Thursday the delay of Britain’s separation from the European Union avoids the “terrible outcome” of a “no-deal” Brexit that would further pressure the global economy.

Lagarde told a news conference, however, that the arrangement will prolong uncertainty and won’t resolve the issues between Britain and the EU.

“At least UK is not leaving on April 12 without a deal. It gives time for continued discussions between the various parties involved in the UK. It probably gives time for economic agents to better prepare for all options, particularly industrialists and workers, in order to try to secure their future,” Lagarde said. “A no-deal Brexit would have been a terrible outcome.”

(Reporting by David Lawder and Leika Kihara; Editing by Andrea Ricci)

Source: OANN

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Florida woman breaks back, foot after jumping off pier to rescue boy from riptide: report

A woman reportedly broke her back and her foot when she jumped into the water to rescue a boy who was struggling against a rip current in Florida on Saturday.

Hanna Pignato reportedly heard the boy’s mother screaming while working as a waitress at Joe’s Crab Shack in Daytona Beach, Fla.

FLORIDA DAD WHO THREW 5-YEAR-OLD GIRL OFF TAMPA BAY BRIDGE CONVICTED, SENTENCED TO LIFE IN PRISON

The 19-year-old decided to step in to help and quickly jumped off the pier where the restaurant is located.

“I surf and I swim, so I thought, I can get to that kid,” Pignato told Fox 35 Orlando. “I don’t even remember taking off my shoes and then I just jumped.”

However, a sandbar was right below the pier where Pignato jumped. She landed on a spot that had less than 3 feet of water and she broke her foot and her back immediately.

She told the outlet she felt “excruciating pain, excruciating pressure, agony,” but she still tried to swim to the boy.

“I wasn’t gonna give up but I knew I wasn’t going to save him at that point, which really broke my heart and I was just broken hearted,” she said.

According to a GoFundMe page set up by her friends, Pignato swam towards the boy until she saw someone else rescue him. She had to be rescued out of the water herself before she was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

The GoFundMe page said she fractured her lower back in three places and broke the top of her right foot and her right heel.

FLORIDA TEEN ARRESTED AFTER VIDEO SHOWS HIM WRESTLING FAKE ALLIGATOR IN MALL

According to the page, Pignato doesn’t have insurance and lives in a third-story apartment without access to an elevator, so she will be spending the next few months at home and won’t be able to work.

“She has an amazing support system and is overwhelmingly appreciative of everyone who has been, and will be there for her. Thank you infinitely,” the page said.

Pignato told Fox 35 Orlando that she’s been overwhelmed by the support and encouragement she’s had.

“So many people are reaching out to me, from all over, and I didn’t think that just trying to help somebody, I would get so much love, that’s not what I was trying to do, I was just trying to help him,” she told the outlet.

Source: Fox News National

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Lithuanian pleads guilty in U.S. to massive fraud against Google, Facebook

FILE PHOTO: Rimasauskas ahead of a verdict announcement in his extradition case at a court in Vilnius
FILE PHOTO: Evaldas Rimasauskas ahead of a verdict announcement in his extradition case at a court in Vilnius, Lithuania July 17, 2017. REUTERS/Andrius Sytas

March 20, 2019

By Brendan Pierson

NEW YORK (Reuters) – A Lithuanian man on Wednesday pleaded guilty to U.S. charges that he helped orchestrate a scheme to defraud Facebook Inc and Alphabet Inc’s Google out of more than $100 million, federal prosecutors announced.

Evaldas Rimasauskas, 50, entered his plea to one count of wire fraud before U.S. District Judge George Daniels in Manhattan. He faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison at his sentencing, currently scheduled for July 24.

Rimasauskas also agreed to forfeit about $49.7 million he personally obtained from the scheme, according to a court filing.

Paul Petrus, a lawyer for Rimasauskas, said the plea spoke for itself and declined to comment further.

Rimasauskas, originally from the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius, was extradited to the United States from Lithuania in August 2017.

U.S. prosecutors accused Rimasauskas and unnamed co-conspirators of bilking Google and Facebook out of more than $100 million by posing as an Asian hardware vendor and claiming that the companies owed the vendor money.

The prosecutors did not name the companies, but Taiwan-based Quanta Computer Inc confirmed after Rimasauskas’ arrest that it was the Asian vendor, and a Lithuanian court order in 2017 identified Google and Facebook as the victims.

The scheme defrauded Google out of $23 million and Facebook out of $99 million, according to that order. Prosecutors said Rimasauskas contributed to the scheme by setting up a fake company and a bank account in Latvia.

The scheme is an example of a growing type of fraud called “business email compromise,” in which fraudsters ask for money using emails targeted at companies that work with foreign suppliers or regularly make wire transfers.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation said in February 2017 that losses from such scams since the agency began tracking them in 2013 totaled more than $3 billion.

(Reporting by Brendan Pierson in New York; Editing by Leslie Adler)

Source: OANN

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Baylor bests Syracuse in 3-pointer-filled battle

NCAA Basketball: NCAA Tournament-First Round-Baylor vs Syracuse
Mar 21, 2019; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Baylor Bears guard Mark Vital (11) and guard Makai Mason (10) celebrate after defeating the Syracuse Orange in the first round of the 2019 NCAA Tournament at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

March 22, 2019

Point guard Makai Mason scored 22 points, and ninth-seeded Baylor hit a season-high 16 3-point shots to beat eighth-seeded Syracuse 78-69 Thursday night in an NCAA Tournament West Region first-round game at Salt Lake City.

Mason scored 16 of his points in the first half but was scoreless in the second half until hitting a key jumper with 2:43 left after he grabbed the rebound of his own miss. The basket gave the Bears a 72-67 lead.

He put in two free throws at the 1:09 mark for a seven-point advantage. Mason made two more foul shots for the game’s final points with 31.4 seconds to go.

The teams battled from the 3-point arc for much of the game, combining to hit 28 from long distance, but Syracuse faltered late — making one of its last 10 attempts — to give Baylor breathing room.

The 28 3-pointers set an NCAA Tournament record for a non-overtime game.

Baylor (20-13) will play top-seeded Gonzaga in the second round on Saturday in Salt Lake City.

Syracuse (20-14) saw the end of its streak of first-round victories in its past eight NCAA Tournament appearances. The Orange shot 12 of 29 from 3-point range.

Junior forward Elijah Hughes scored a career-high 25 points for the Orange. Tyus Battle had 16.

Mason, playing through a foot injury, made 4 of 10 3-point attempts. Baylor’s Jared Butler drilled 4 of 9 from deep en route to 14 points. Mario Kegler scored 13 for Baylor, which wound up 16 of 34 from behind the arc.

It was a one-possession game for nearly the first 12 minutes of the second half until Mark Vital’s put-back gave Baylor a 62-57 lead. That was part of an 11-2 Baylor run for a 68-59 lead. Hughes went on a personal 6-0 run to make it 68-65.

The first half was a shooting showcase, with Baylor eking out a 38-37 lead at the half. The Bears hit 10 of 18 3-point shots over the first 20 minutes while Syracuse was 9 of 17.

Baylor came out firing against Syracuse’s 2-3 zone defense, hitting five of its first seven 3-point shots, including a banked trey from Butler, to take a 15-4 lead.

Syracuse joined the barrage, drilling five consecutive 3-point attempts to get within 20-19. The teams combined for 12 3-pointers in the first 10 minutes.

Syracuse played without senior point guard Frank Howard, who was suspended because of a “violation of athletic department policy,” the school announced Wednesday.

–Field Level Media

Source: OANN

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Warsaw synagogue ‘reappears’ on anniversary of ghetto revolt

The Great Synagogue of Warsaw, which was destroyed by the German forces during World War II, has been virtually recreated with light as part of anniversary commemorations for the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising of 1943.

Light was projected Thursday night onto the facade of a modern building where the grand synagogue had stood before the Holocaust. It was the work of Polish multimedia artist Gabi von Seltmann and organized by Open Republic, a group that fights anti-Semitism.

A number of other observances are planned for Friday, the 76th anniversary of the start of the Jewish revolt against the powerful Nazi forces.

The revolt was brutally crushed and most of the fighters were killed, but it remains a powerful symbol of resistance central to Israeli national identity today.

Source: Fox News World

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Joe Biden’s brain surgeon said his former patient is “totally in the clear” as speculation over the candidate’s health — with Biden possibly becoming the oldest president in U.S. history — is likely to become a campaign issue.

The former vice president, who had been perceived by many as the strongest potential contender for the Democratic Party’s 2020 presidential nomination, formally announced his candidacy Thursday.

But Biden’s age – 76 – is expected to become a source of attacks from a younger generation of Democrats not because of obvious generational differences, but possibly for actual health concerns if Biden gets into office.

WHY THE MEDIA ARE CONVINCED JOE BIDEN WILL IMPLODE

Biden himself agreed last year that “it’s totally legitimate” for people to ask questions about his health if he decides to run for president, given his medical history — which has included brain surgery in 1988.

“I think they’re gonna judge me on my vitality,” Biden told “CBS This Morning.” “Can I still run up the steps of Air Force Two? Am I still in good shape? Am I – do I have all my faculties? Am I energetic? I think it’s totally legitimate people ask those questions.”

“I think they’re gonna judge me on my vitality. …  I think it’s totally legitimate [that] people ask those questions.”

— Joe Biden

But Dr. Neal Kassell, the neurosurgeon who operated on Biden for an aneurysm three decades ago, told the Washington Examiner that Biden appears to be “totally in the clear” — and even joked that the operation made Biden “better than how he was.”

“Joe Biden of all of the politicians in Washington is the only one that I’m certain has a brain, because I have seen it,” Kassell said. “That’s more than I can say about all the other candidates or the incumbents.”

“Joe Biden of all of the politicians in Washington is the only one that I’m certain has a brain, because I have seen it.”

— Dr. Neal Kassell

BIDEN’S CLAIM HE DIDN’T WANT OBAMA TO ENDORSE TRIGGERS MOCKERY

At the same time, however, Biden hasn’t been forthcoming about his health at least since 2008 when he released his medical records as a vice presidential candidate. The disclosure that time revealed some fairly minor issues such as an irregular heartbeat in addition to detailing previous operations, including removing a benign polyp during a colonoscopy in 1996, the outlet reported.

It remains unclear if Biden had more aneurysms. Some medical experts say that people who have had an aneurysm can have another one.

An aneurysm, or a weakening of an artery wall, can lead to a rupture and internal bleeding, potentially placing a patient’s life in jeopardy.

Biden won’t be the only Democrat grappling with old age. Sen. Bernie Sanders, another 2020 frontrunner, is currently 77 years old and agreed with Biden last year that their ages will be an issue in the race.

“It’s part of a discussion, but it has to be part of an overall view of what somebody is and what somebody has accomplished,” Sanders told Politico.

“Look, you’ve got people who are 50 years of age who are not well, right? You’ve got people who are 90 years of age who are going to work every day, doing excellent work. And obviously, age is a factor. But it depends on the overall health and wellbeing of the individual.”

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Sanders released his medical records in 2016, with a Senate physician saying in a letter that the senator was “in overall very good health.”

Source: Fox News Politics

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Cambodian authorities have ordered a one-hour reduction in the length of school days because of concerns that students and teachers may fall ill from a prolonged heat wave.

Education Minister Hang Chuon Naron said in an announcement seen Friday that the shortened hours will remain in effect until the rainy season starts, which usually occurs in May. The current heat wave, in which temperatures are regularly reaching as high as 41 Celsius (106 Fahrenheit), is one of the longest in memory.

Most schools in Cambodia lack air conditioning, prompting concern that temperatures inside classrooms could rise to unhealthy levels.

School authorities were instructed to watch for symptoms of heat stroke and urge pupils to drink more water.

The new hours cut 30 minutes off the beginning of the school day and 30 minutes off the end.

School authorities instituted a similar measure in 2016.

Source: Fox News World

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Explosions have rocked Britain’s largest steel plant, injuring two people and shaking nearby homes.

South Wales Police say the incident at the Tata Steel plant in Port Talbot was reported at about 3:35 a.m. Friday (22:35 EDT Thursday). The explosions touched off small fires, which are under control. Two workers suffered minor injuries and all staff members have been accounted for.

Police say early indications are that the explosions were caused by a train used to carry molten metal into the plant. Tata Steel says its personnel are working with emergency services at the scene.

Local lawmaker Stephen Kinnock says the incident raises concerns about safety.

He tweeted: “It could have been a lot worse … @TataSteelEurope must conduct a full review, to improve safety.”

Source: Fox News World

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The Wider Image: China's start-ups go small in age of 'shoebox' satellites
LinkSpace’s reusable rocket RLV-T5, also known as NewLine Baby, is carried to a vacant plot of land for a test launch in Longkou, Shandong province, China, April 19, 2019. REUTERS/Jason Lee

April 26, 2019

By Ryan Woo

LONGKOU, China (Reuters) – During initial tests of their 8.1-metre (27-foot) tall reusable rocket, Chinese engineers from LinkSpace, a start-up led by China’s youngest space entrepreneur, used a Kevlar tether to ensure its safe return. Just in case.

But when the Beijing-based company’s prototype, called NewLine Baby, successfully took off and landed last week for the second time in two months, no tether was needed.

The 1.5-tonne rocket hovered 40 meters above the ground before descending back to its concrete launch pad after 30 seconds, to the relief of 26-year-old chief executive Hu Zhenyu and his engineers – one of whom cartwheeled his way to the launch pad in delight.

LinkSpace, one of China’s 15-plus private rocket manufacturers, sees these short hops as the first steps towards a new business model: sending tiny, inexpensive satellites into orbit at affordable prices.

Demand for these so-called nanosatellites – which weigh less than 10 kilograms (22 pounds) and are in some cases as small as a shoebox – is expected to explode in the next few years. And China’s rocket entrepreneurs reckon there is no better place to develop inexpensive launch vehicles than their home country.

“For suborbital clients, their focus will be on scientific research and some commercial uses. After entering orbit, the near-term focus (of clients) will certainly be on satellites,” Hu said.

In the near term, China envisions massive constellations of commercial satellites that can offer services ranging from high-speed internet for aircraft to tracking coal shipments. Universities conducting experiments and companies looking to offer remote-sensing and communication services are among the potential domestic customers for nanosatellites.

A handful of U.S. small-rocket companies are also developing launchers ahead of the expected boom. One of the biggest, Rocket Lab, has already put 25 satellites in orbit.

No private company in China has done that yet. Since October, two – LandSpace and OneSpace – have tried but failed, illustrating the difficulties facing space start-ups everywhere.

The Chinese companies are approaching inexpensive launches in different ways. Some, like OneSpace, are designing cheap, disposable boosters. LinkSpace’s Hu aspires to build reusable rockets that return to Earth after delivering their payload, much like the Falcon 9 rockets of Elon Musk’s SpaceX.

“If you’re a small company and you can only build a very, very small rocket because that’s all you have money for, then your profit margins are going to be narrower,” said Macro Caceres, analyst at U.S. aerospace consultancy Teal Group.

“But if you can take that small rocket and make it reusable, and you can launch it once a week, four times a month, 50 times a year, then with more volume, your profit increases,” Caceres added.

Eventually LinkSpace hopes to charge no more than 30 million yuan ($4.48 million) per launch, Hu told Reuters.

That is a fraction of the $25 million to $30 million needed for a launch on a Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems Pegasus, a commonly used small rocket. The Pegasus is launched from a high-flying aircraft and is not reusable.

(Click https://reut.rs/2UVBjKs to see a picture package of China’s rocket start-ups. Click https://tmsnrt.rs/2GIy9Bc for an interactive look at the nascent industry.)

NEED FOR CASH

LinkSpace plans to conduct suborbital launch tests using a bigger recoverable rocket in the first half of 2020, reaching altitudes of at least 100 kilometers, then an orbital launch in 2021, Hu told Reuters.

The company is in its third round of fundraising and wants to raise up to 100 million yuan, Hu said. It had secured tens of millions of yuan in previous rounds.

After a surge in fresh funding in 2018, firms like LinkSpace are pushing out prototypes, planning more tests and even proposing operational launches this year.

Last year, equity investment in China’s space start-ups reached 3.57 billion yuan ($533 million), a report by Beijing-based investor FutureAerospace shows, with a burst of financing in late 2018.

That accounted for about 18 percent of global space start-up investments in 2018, a historic high, according to Reuters calculations based on a global estimate by Space Angels. The New York-based venture capital firm said global space start-up investments totaled $2.97 billion last year.

“Costs for rocket companies are relatively high, but as to how much funding they need, be it in the hundreds of millions, or tens of millions, or even just a few million yuan, depends on the company’s stage of development,” said Niu Min, founder of FutureAerospace.

FutureAerospace has invested tens of millions of yuan in LandSpace, based in Beijing.

Like space-launch startups elsewhere in the world, the immediate challenge for Chinese entrepreneurs is developing a safe and reliable rocket.

Proven talent to develop such hardware can be found in China’s state research institutes or the military; the government directly supports private firms by allowing them to launch from military-controlled facilities.

But it’s still a high-risk business, and one unsuccessful launch might kill a company.

“The biggest problem facing all commercial space companies, especially early-stage entrepreneurs, is failure” of an attempted flight, Liang Jianjun, chief executive of rocket company Space Trek, told Reuters. That can affect financing, research, manufacturing and the team’s morale, he added.

Space Trek is planning its first suborbital launch by the end of June and an orbital launch next year, said Liang, who founded the company in late 2017 with three other former military technical officers.

Despite LandSpace’s failed Zhuque-1 orbital launch in October, the Beijing-based firm secured 300 million yuan in additional funding for the development of its Zhuque-2 rocket a month later.

In December, the company started operating China’s first private rocket production facility in Zhejiang province, in anticipation of large-scale manufacturing of its Zhuque-2, which it expects to unveil next year.

STATE COMPETITION

China’s state defense contractors are also trying to get into the low-cost market.

In December, the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp (CASIC) successfully launched a low-orbit communication satellite, the first of 156 that CASIC aims to deploy by 2022 to provide more stable broadband connectivity to rural China and eventually developing countries.

The satellite, Hongyun-1, was launched on a rocket supplied by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp (CASC), the nation’s main space contractor.

In early April, the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALVT), a subsidiary of CASC, completed engine tests for its Dragon, China’s first rocket meant solely for commercial use, clearing the path for a maiden flight before July.

The Dragon, much bigger than the rockets being developed by private firms, is designed to carry multiple commercial satellites.

At least 35 private Chinese companies are working to produce more satellites.

Spacety, a satellite maker based in southern Hunan province, plans to put 20 satellites in orbit this year, including its first for a foreign client, chief executive Yang Feng told Reuters.

The company has only launched 12 on state-produced rockets since the company started operating in early 2016.

“When it comes to rocket launches, what we care about would be cost, reliability and time,” Yang said.

(Reporting by Ryan Woo; Additional reporting by Beijing newsroom; Editing by Gerry Doyle)

Source: OANN

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At least one person is reported dead and homes have been destroyed by a powerful cyclone that struck northern Mozambique and continues to dump rain on the region, with the United Nations warning of “massive flooding.”

Cyclone Kenneth arrived just six weeks after Cyclone Idai tore into central Mozambique, killing more than 600 people and displacing scores of thousands. The U.N. says this is the first time in known history that the southern African nation has been hit by two cyclones in one season.

Forecasters say the new cyclone made landfall Thursday night in a part of Mozambique that has not seen such a storm in at least 60 years.

Mozambique’s local emergency operations center says a woman in the city of Pemba was killed by a falling tree.

Source: Fox News World

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