Upcoming shows
Real News

NOW ON AIR
Now On Air

Story Time

1:00 am 6:00 am



Maga First News

Upcoming Shows

Join The MAGA Network on Discord

0 0

The Latest: Responding officer testifies in teen's death

The Latest on the homicide trial of a white Pennsylvania police officer in the shooting of an unarmed black 17-year-old (all times local):

6:40 p.m.

The second day of the criminal homicide trial of a white officer who fatally shot an unarmed black teenager has ended for the day with compelling witness testimony that included a neighbor saying he heard the officer say "I don't know why I shot him."

Former East Pittsburgh Police Officer Michael Rosfeld's trial will continue Thursday.

A neighbor said he was on his porch when Rosfeld fired three bullets into 17-year-old Antwon Rose II after pulling over an unlicensed taxicab suspected to have been used in a drive-by shooting minutes earlier.

Rosfeld's attorney says the former officer was justified in shooting Rose.

Rosfeld was charged, investigators said, after his story changed about whether he saw or believed a gun was in Rose's hands.

___

4:10 p.m.

A police officer who responded to the East Pittsburgh shooting death of an unarmed black teenager said the white officer who shot him asked if he "saw the gun."

Allegheny Housing Authority officer Charles Rozzo testified Wednesday at the second day of the trial of former Officer Michael Rosfeld.

Rozzo said he approached a distraught Rosfeld, who asked him how 17-year-old Antwon Rose II was doing.

Rozzo said Rosfeld then asked if Rozzo saw the gun. It's unclear what gun Rosfeld was referring to. Rosfeld was charged, investigators said, after his story changed about whether he saw or believed a gun was in Rose's hands.

Authorities have said two guns were inside the vehicle and an empty ammunition clip was in his pocket.

Rozzo said Rosfeld then asked him to call his wife.

___

1:50 p.m.

A witness who was in an East Pittsburgh senior center a white police officer entered after fatally shooting an unarmed black teenager says he heard the officer say, "Why did he take that out of his pocket?"

Patrick Shattuck testified Wednesday as the second day of the trial of former Officer Michael Rosfeld resumed.

Shattuck said that about five minutes after 17-year-old Antwon Rose II was shot, Rosfeld went into the building with swollen, red eyes saying, "Why did he do that? Why did he do that? Why did he take that out of his pocket?"

East Pittsburgh Mayor Louis J. Payne was also there for a council meeting. He said he heard Rosfeld say, "Why did he do that?" but not the comment about the pocket.

___

11:50 a.m.

A witness says he saw a white officer who fatally shot an unarmed black teenager in Pittsburgh panicking on the sidewalk, saying, "I don't know why I shot him. I don't know why I fired."

Neighbor John Leach testified Wednesday as the second day of the trial of former East Pittsburgh Police Officer Michael Rosfeld resumed.

Leach lives a couple houses away. He said he was on his front porch when Rosfeld fired three bullets into 17-year-old Antwon Rose II after pulling over an unlicensed taxicab suspected to have been used in a drive-by shooting minutes earlier.

Leach says he saw other police officers consoling Rosfeld. Leach says Rosfeld was bending over crying, hyperventilating and looked like he was about to pass out.

A second witness video was also played in court.

___

10:10 a.m.

The mother of an unarmed black teenager who was fatally shot by a white former police officer is urging prosecutors to show what a "kind, loving and funny" person her son was.

Michelle Kenney's letter to prosecutors was released Wednesday, as the second day of the trial of former East Pittsburgh Police Officer Michael Rosfeld resumes in a Pittsburgh courtroom.

In the letter, Kenney asks prosecutors to paint a picture of her son Antwon Rose II as the loving, exceptional person that he was. She says they must counter the defense's portrayal of the 17-year-old high school student as "just another thug."

She says he taught children in the neighborhood how to roller blade and skateboard and would give away his skates to kids in need. She calls him a "rose that grew from concrete."

In June, Rosfeld fired three bullets into Rose after pulling over an unlicensed taxicab suspected to have been used in a drive-by shooting minutes earlier.

Rose was shot as he fled the car.

___

3 a.m.

Video that showed a white police officer shooting to death an unarmed black teenager is among the evidence presented during the first day of the former cop's criminal homicide trial.

More testimony is expected Wednesday when the trial of former East Pittsburgh Police Officer Michael Rosfeld resumes in a Pittsburgh courtroom.

The 30-year-old Rosfeld is accused in the June death of 17-year-old high school student Antwon Rose II.

Rosfeld fired three bullets into Rose after pulling over an unlicensed taxicab suspected to have been used in a drive-by shooting minutes earlier.

Rose was a front-seat passenger in the cab and was shot as he fled.

A neighbor who recorded the confrontation said the tone of Rosfeld's voice is what got her attention.

Source: Fox News National

0 0

Boeing invites pilots, regulators to brief about plan to support 737 MAX’s return

An aerial photo shows rowers on Lake Washington near a line of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft at the Boeing factory in Renton
An aerial photo shows rowers on Lake Washington near a line of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft at the Boeing factory in Renton, Washington, U.S. March 21, 2019. REUTERS/Lindsey Wasson

March 25, 2019

(Reuters) – Boeing Co said it invited airline pilots, technical leaders and regulators for an informational session in Renton, Washington on Wednesday, as part of an effort to share details about the plan to support the return of the 737 MAX to commercial service.

“We continue to work closely with our customers and regulators on software and training updates for the 737 MAX,” Boeing added.

(Reporting by Shubham Kalia in Bengaluru; Editing by Chris Reese)

Source: OANN

0 0

Far-Right Vox party set to gain foothold in Spanish politics for first time since Franco’s death

An emerging far-right Spanish political group is rallying their supporters ahead of upcoming elections this month by tapping into the country's Civil War.

On April 28th, Spaniards will head to the polls and thousands are prepared to vote for the Vox Party, which has advocated for preserving the legacy of Francisco Franco.

The Franco regime remains a contentious issue for Spain and while many have advocated for reparations from the Civil War that killed and imprisoned hundreds of thousands, Vox wants to move on without a government-funded apology. It also runs counter to the ruling Socialists, who have pledged to remove Franco's remains from a mausoleum near Madrid.

After winning 12 seats in regional elections in Andalusia in December, sending shockwaves through Spain, the party, which campaigns on an anti-immigration message, now has its eye on national seats. Recent polling has predicted they will win anywhere from 29 to 37 seats in the 350-seat parliament, making them the first far-Right party to gain a foothold in national politics since Spain returned to democracy in 1975 upon Franco's death.

“For us, we only have one doctrine for the recent historical memory. And that is liberty: liberty for you to respect your grandparents,” Vox party leader, Santiago Abascal, told supporters during a rally. “How are we to condemn our grandparents?”

FORMER MARINE ARRESTED IN RAID AT NORTH KOREAN EMBASSY IN SPAIN

In this April 10, 2019 photo, farmers attend a meeting with Spanish far right party Vox at a bar in Brazatortas, on the edge of the Alcudia valley, central Spain. The April 28 election also comes as Spain's traditional bipartisan politics have crumbled into five main contenders, spurring the race for votes in the overrepresented hinterland, where nearly one third of seats in the parliament's lower house are up for grabs.

In this April 10, 2019 photo, farmers attend a meeting with Spanish far right party Vox at a bar in Brazatortas, on the edge of the Alcudia valley, central Spain. The April 28 election also comes as Spain's traditional bipartisan politics have crumbled into five main contenders, spurring the race for votes in the overrepresented hinterland, where nearly one third of seats in the parliament's lower house are up for grabs. (AP)

For one grandchild, the Vox Party is a reminder that the repercussions of the Civil War are still being dug up.

In 2007, the left-wing Socialist Workers’ party was able to pass the Historical Memory Law allowing government-funded archeological digs into Franco-created mass graves, as well as a number of rights and aid to victims and their families.

Daniel Galán has been a benefactor to this law, and he believes the exhumation of his grandfather, village Mayor Miguel Galán, has given him closure as well as an opportunity to pay proper respect to his ancestor who vanished over 80 years ago.

MEXICO ASKS VATICAN, SPAIN TO APOLOGIZE FOR CENTURIES-OLD CONQUEST, SAYS IT WAS CARRIED OUT WITH 'SWORD AND CROSS'

In this photo, provided by Radio Television Espanola, the four main candidates pose before a live televised general election debate in the RTVE studios in Madrid, Spain, Monday, April 22, 2019. The debate is the first of two televised debates after Spain's electoral board barred the far-right Vox party from participating because it has no presence in the country's parliament.

In this photo, provided by Radio Television Espanola, the four main candidates pose before a live televised general election debate in the RTVE studios in Madrid, Spain, Monday, April 22, 2019. The debate is the first of two televised debates after Spain's electoral board barred the far-right Vox party from participating because it has no presence in the country's parliament. (RTVE via AP)

“For those who say we are only reopening old wounds, that is not true, because those wounds have been open for 80 years,” Galán told the AP. “The difference is between them lying in mass graves like rotting dogs and being able to take them and give them a dignified burial.”

Miguel Galán is one of an estimated 114,000 bodies who remain hidden below the Spanish terrain in mass graves created by the Franco regime.

CLICK HERE FOR THE FOX NEWS APP

"The difference is between them lying in mass graves like rotting dogs and being able to take them and give them dignified burial," Galán said. "For those who say we are only reopening old wounds, that is not true, because these wounds have been open for 80 years."

For others, digging up bodies stirs up Spain's painful past. Some also fear exhumations could lead to shaming those who had relatives on the side of Franco*s right-wing forces.

"I think that that period of history was settled," Elena Escribano, a 60-year-old housewife, said at a recent Vox rally. "Not knowing where a relative is is hard, but there are victims on both sides. We must pray for them but we must look to the future."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Source: Fox News World

0 0

Mom thought to have been killed in robbery gone bad actually murdered by son: cops

A San Antonio woman who was found dead Tuesday inside her home — in what was initially believed to be a random robbery gone bad — was actually murdered by her own son, according to police officials.

Matthew Dempsey, 18, has been charged with capital murder for the alleged killing.

BALTIMORE MAN, DAUGHTER FACE MURDER CHARGES IN TEXAS IN ALLEGED CHARITY-GONE-WRONG LIE

His mom, Mary Dempsey, 53, died after suffering some sort of trauma to the body, cops said.

Police, however, wouldn’t confirm whether she had been stabbed, beaten or shot.

“What we can tell right now is there’s obvious trauma,” said San Antonio PD spokesman Doug Greene in a statement to reporters.

Mary was thought to have died following a break-in at her house in San Antonio’s West Side neighborhood — with one major clue being her missing car — but an investigation later revealed what police believe really happened.

Cops said they responded to her home after getting a call from a relative who believed Mary had been robbed. But officers found no signs forced entry.

Neighbors told the San Antonio Express-News that they heard gunshots Monday night, but said that’s not uncommon.

“If we don’t hear (police) helicopters…it’s unusual,” said resident Johnny Arredondo, who is running for City Council.

Drugs and robberies have allegedly been plaguing the area for years, prompting many to believe that Mary had been robbed at first. 

Man stabs dad and mom, killing her, after losing his job: cops

“It’s always been a problem up and down this street,” Arredondo said.

Detectives reportedly did some digging and developed some information on Matthew Dempsey, which prompted them to bring the young man in for questioning. The interview was enough to convince authorities to bring charges against him and he was arrested Tuesday night by San Antonio Police.

Investigators have yet to release a motive for the murder. Cops said Matthew did not live with his mother.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“It’s a heartbreaking story,” Greene said. “To find out that it was the son of the victim involved in this, it’s just kind of hard to process but the evidence shows otherwise and we have to go by the evidence.”

TO KEEP READING IN THE NEW YORK POST, CLICK HERE

Source: Fox News National

0 0

Brazil president seeks $270 billion pension savings, Congress has doubts

Brazil's President Bolsonaro arrives for a meeting to deliver the pension reform bill proposal at the National Congress, in Brasilia
Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro arrives for a meeting to deliver the pension reform bill proposal at the National Congress, in Brasilia, Brazil February 20, 2019. REUTERS/Adriano Machado

February 20, 2019

By Jamie McGeever and Marcela Ayres

BRASILIA (Reuters) – Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro delivered his proposed pension overhaul to Congress on Wednesday, a plan to save over 1 trillion reais ($270 billion) in a decade, which raised doubts about whether lawmakers would pass a package of that scale.

The social security bill is the cornerstone of the new president’s effort to close what most economists call an unsustainable public deficit and boost a weak economic recovery.

The government pledged to present changes soon for military pensions that would increase the savings, a delay that also raised a red flag among some legislators.

“A reform plan that does not include the military will not move ahead in Congress,” Senator Ciro Nogueira, head of the center-right Progressive Party, told reporters.

Bolsonaro’s savings target of 1.072 trillion reais in a decade is more ambitious than the roughly 600 billion reais of savings proposed by his predecessor Michel Temer, who gave up on the idea amid public backlash and graft scandals.

Brazilian market reaction to the proposal was mixed throughout the day, with the stock market and the real eventually closing lower. Financial analysts and investors mostly welcomed the proposals, but few expected swift approval.

Delay and dilution could sour investor confidence and dampen any positive economic impact, analysts warned.

“One thing is a solid, well thought out and crafted reform proposal, the other is what will ultimately emanate from Congress. The risk is that the initial proposal will be significantly watered down by Congress,” wrote Alberto Ramos, head of Latin American economic research at Goldman Sachs.

Bolsonaro’s opponents on the left slammed the plan saying it would hurt poor Brazilians. Even some of the president’s allies questioned the delay on military pensions.

Final approval is unlikely until the fourth quarter, Ramos told clients in a note, far later than the government’s target of June or sooner. Rogerio Marinho, the Economy Ministry’s secretary of social security and labor, also told reporters approval could be in the second half of the year.

Brazil’s social security shortfall widened 7 percent last year to 195.2 billion reais, the biggest factor by far in Brazil’s budget deficit. The pension deficit including private- and public-sector employees and military personnel is expected to top 300 billion reais this year, more than 4 percent of GDP.

The Bovespa stock index fell 1.1 percent on Wednesday, the real weakened 0.3 percent and interest rates futures a year out rose 4 basis points to 6.42 percent.

POLITICAL CHALLENGES

Bolsonaro’s stumbles in other matters ahead of the pension reform rollout raised questions about his ability to pull off the ambitious legislative effort.

On Tuesday evening, the lower chamber voted overwhelmingly to overturn an executive order on state secrets. It was Bolsonaro’s first legislative defeat, underscoring the resistance he faces in a fragmented Congress.

On Monday, Bolsonaro fired one of his most senior aides and principal negotiators with Congress, Secretary General Gustavo Bebianno, amid a scandal involving campaign financing for some of his party’s congressional candidates.

“The big risk is the presidential palace’s lack of appetite for political dealmaking. I am waiting to see how the opposition takes advantage of the government’s weakness,” said Jose Francisco de Lima Goncalves, chief economist at Banco Fator.

Under Bolsonaro’s pension proposal, wealthier taxpayers would contribute more while the minimum retirement ages would rise to 62 for women and 65 for men and new individual savings accounts would give workers “an alternative to the current system,” according to a presentation by the economy minister.

The transition to the new rules would take 12 to 14 years, depending on which transition option individuals choose.

Changes to military pensions, which the government vowed to propose within 30 days, would increase total savings over 10 years to 1.165 trillion reais. Pensions for military police and firefighters would follow the same rules as the armed forces.

Bolsonaro, a former army captain and congressman who got his start in politics advocating better compensation for troops and police, told lawmakers he had overcome his previous resistance to pension reform and hoped they would too.

“Together, we have to admit to ourselves that we were wrong in the past — I was wrong in the past — and we have a rare chance to guarantee pensions for future generations,” he said.

(Reporting by Jamie McGeever and Marcela Ayres; Additional reporting by Ricardo Brito, Lisandra Paraguassu and Anthony Boadle in Brasilia, Paula Laier in Sao Paulo; Editing by Brad Haynes, Jeffrey Benkoe and David Gregorio)

Source: OANN

0 0

Harry Reid Slams Trump, Wishes Bush Was Back

President Donald Trump and ex-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid are still sparring, with Trump slamming the retired Nevada lawmaker as being a leader through "lies and deception" after CNN aired an interview Monday with Reid calling Trump the nation's worst president.

"Former Senator Harry Reid (he got thrown out) is working hard to put a good spin on his failed career," Trump tweeted minutes after the segment aired. "He led through lies and deception, only to be replaced by another beauty, Cryin’ Chuck Schumer. Some things just never change!"

Reid, 79, retired from the Senate a few weeks before Trump was inaugurated, after having been first elected to the House in 1982 and the Senate in 1986, becoming the Democratic leader in 2005.

Reid, who said he is in remission from pancreatic cancer, has not backed down from his slams on Trump, telling CNN's Dana Bash that he wishes his former foe, President George W. Bush, was in office "every day."

"He and I had our differences, but no one ever questioned his patriotism. Our battles were strictly political battles," Reid said. "There's no question in my mind that George Bush would be Babe Ruth in this league that he's in with Donald Trump in the league. Donald Trump wouldn't make the team."

Further, he said in the interview, recorded late last week that he has trouble accepting Trump "as a person" and doesn't see anything right.

He told Bash he misses "the battle" and follows the news, but as for being in office and sparring with Trump, "that's not for me now."

However, he dismissed calls for Trump's impeachment as a "waste of time," because Republicans control the Senate and are too "afraid" of Trump to get involved.

Source: NewsMax Politics

0 0

New York City to give additional $1.6 million to city attorneys to defend immigrants slated for deportation

Calling it a defensive fund against President Trump’s immigration policies, New York City officials plan to put an extra $1.6 million toward public defenders representing immigrants slated for deportation, according to the New York Daily News.

The move to bolster the funding arose from a deal between New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and Council Speaker Corey Johnson.

Attorneys and immigrant rights groups had pushed for money, saying that courts were rushing decisions on deportation and that immigrants were at a disadvantage if they did not have the help of an attorney.

'THE VIEW' GRILLS NYC MAYOR BILL DE BLASIO: 'YOU SCREWED THE CITY UP' 

“This emergency funding will help us provide more attorneys to New Yorkers in need,” Johnson said, according to the Daily News. “This is crucial right now as the ICE deportation machine has ramped up efforts to interfere with the necessary work NYIFUP is doing by pushing people through the system with zero regard for due process. I will continue to fight these un-American and horrific immigration policies.”

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (AP Photo/Kevin Hagen)

At present, the city has an allotment of $10 million for public defenders who work on immigration cases. The attorneys had requested an extra $6.6 million, citing the addition of immigration courts in New York aimed at accommodating a backlog of deportation cases, the Daily News said.

The attorneys expressed concern that hearings were being rushed.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Immigrants facing deportation are not entitled to a public defender. Many areas have non-profits that provide such immigrants with pro-bono attorneys.

The city established the program to address the void.

“All respondents have a right to counsel at no expense to the government," the Department of Justice’s Executive of Immigration Review said. "EOIR has long worked to improve access to legal information and counseling and increase the level of representation for individuals appearing before the immigration courts and Board of Immigration Appeals.”

“This work has been carried out primarily through initiatives that facilitate access to information and help create new incentives for attorneys, non-profit organizations and their representatives, and law students to accept pro bono cases.”

Meanwhile, Immigration advocates were pressing Gov. Andrew Cuomo to keep public funding for legal services for immigrants around the state who are slated for deportation, as well as immigrants who need other services.

They told the Daily News they are concerned that the governor will cut funding for the Liberty Defense Project, which provides legal counsel and other support services.

“It is inexplicable that as the Trump administration continues its assault on New York’s communities, our State leaders are ripping away its lifeline for legal defense and protection against deportation,” said Steven Choi, the group’s executive director, to the Daily News. “It is a complete sham for our leaders – Governor Cuomo, Speaker Heastie and Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins – to say they stand up to Trump on behalf of our immigrants – and then remove the very assistance that protects New Yorkers from Trump’s deportation force."

Source: Fox News National

NOW ON AIR
Now On Air

Story Time

1:00 am 6:00 am



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

Listen to https://magaoneradio.net and Listen Daily! Don't Forget to Share Click a Link Below!
German drug and crop chemical maker Bayer holds annual general meeting
Werner Baumann, CEO of German pharmaceutical and chemical maker Bayer AG, attends the annual general shareholders meeting in Bonn, Germany, April 26, 2019. REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay

April 26, 2019

By Patricia Weiss and Ludwig Burger

BONN (Reuters) – Bayer shareholders vented their anger over its stock price slump on Friday as litigation risks mount from the German drugmaker’s $63 billion takeover of seed maker Monsanto.

Several large investors said they will not support aspirin investor Bayer’s management in a key vote scheduled for the end of its annual general meeting.

Bayer’s management, led by chief executive Werner Baumann, could see an embarrassing plunge in approval ratings, down from 97 percent at last year’s AGM, which was held shortly before the Monsanto takeover closed in June.

A vote to ratify the board’s actions features prominently at every German AGM. Although it has no bearing on management’s liability, it is seen as a key gauge of shareholder sentiment.

“Due to the continued negative development at Bayer, high legal risks and a massive share price slump, we refuse to ratify the management board and supervisory board’s actions during the business year,” Janne Werning, representing Germany’s Union Investment, a top-20 shareholder, said in prepared remarks.

About 30 billion euros ($34 billion) have been wiped off Bayer’s market value since August, when a U.S. jury found the pesticide and drugs group liable because Monsanto had not warned of alleged cancer risks linked to its weedkiller Roundup.

Bayer suffered a similar defeat last month and more than 13,000 plaintiffs are claiming damages.

Bayer is appealing or plans to appeal the verdicts.

Deutsche Bank’s asset managing arm DWS said shareholders should have been consulted before the takeover, which was agreed in 2016 and closed in June last year.

“You are pointing out that the lawsuits have not been lost yet. We and our customers, however, have already lost something – money and trust,” Nicolas Huber, head of corporate governance at DWS, said in prepared remarks for the AGM.

He said DWS would abstain from the shareholder vote of confidence in the executive and non-executive boards.

Two people familiar with the situation told Reuters this week that Bayer’s largest shareholder, BlackRock, plans to either abstain from or vote against ratifying the management board’s actions.

Asset management firm Deka, among Bayer’s largest German investors, has also said it would cast a no vote.

Baumann said Bayer’s true value was not reflected in the current share price.

“There’s no way to make this look good. The lawsuits and the first verdicts weigh heavily on our company and it’s a concern for many people,” he said, adding it was the right decision to buy Monsanto and that Bayer was vigorously defending itself.

This month, shareholder advisory firms Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) and Glass Lewis recommended investors not to give the executive board their seal of approval.

(Reporting by Patricia Weiss and Ludwig Burger; Editing by Alexander Smith)

Source: OANN

Listen to https://magaoneradio.net and Listen Daily! Don't Forget to Share Click a Link Below!

Sudan’s military, which ousted President Omar al-Bashir after months of protests against his 30-year rule, says it intends to keep the upper hand during the country’s transitional period to civilian rule.

The announcement is expected to raise tensions with the protesters, who demand immediate handover of power.

The Sudanese Professionals Association, which is spearheading the protests, said Friday the crowds will stay in the streets until all their demands are met.

Shams al-Deen al-Kabashi, the spokesman for the military council, said late Thursday that the military will “maintain sovereign powers” while the Cabinet would be in the hands of civilians.

The protesters insist the country should be led by a “civilian sovereign” council with “limited military representation” during the transitional period.

The army toppled and arrested al-Bashir on April 11.

Source: Fox News World

Listen to https://magaoneradio.net and Listen Daily! Don't Forget to Share Click a Link Below!
FILE PHOTO: Small toy figures are seen in front of a displayed Huawei and 5G network logo in this illustration picture
FILE PHOTO: Small toy figures are seen in front of a displayed Huawei and 5G network logo in this illustration picture, March 30, 2019. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic

April 26, 2019

By Charlotte Greenfield

WELLINGTON (Reuters) – China’s Huawei Technologies said Britain’s decision to allow the firm a restricted role in building parts of its next-generation telecoms network was the kind of solution it was hoping for in New Zealand, where it has been blocked from 5G plans.

Britain will ban Huawei from all core parts of 5G network but give it some access to non-core parts, sources have told Reuters, as it seeks a middle way in a bitter U.S.-China dispute stemming from American allegations that Huawei’s equipment could be used by Beijing for espionage.

Washington has also urged its allies to ban Huawei from building 5G networks, even as the Chinese company, the world’s top producer of telecoms equipment, has repeatedly said the spying concerns are unfounded.

In New Zealand, a member of the Five Eyes intelligence sharing network that includes the United States, the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) in November turned down an initial request from local telecommunication firm Spark to include Huawei equipment in its 5G network, but later gave the operator options to mitigate national security concerns.

“The proposed solution in the UK to restrict Huawei from bidding for the core is exactly the type of solution we have been looking at in New Zealand,” Andrew Bowater, deputy CEO of Huawei’s New Zealand arm, said in an emailed statement.

Spark said it has noted the developments in Britain and would raise it with the GCSB.

The reports “suggest the UK is following other European jurisdictions in taking a considered and balanced approach to managing supplier-related security risks in 5G”, Andrew Pirie, Spark’s corporate relations lead, said in an email.

“Our discussions with the GCSB are ongoing and we expect that the UK developments will be a further item of discussion between us,” Pirie added.

New Zealand’s minister for intelligence services, Andrew Little, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

British culture minister Jeremy Wright said on Thursday that he would report to parliament the conclusions of a government review of the 5G supply chain once they had been taken.

He added that the disclosure of confidential discussions on the role of Huawei was “unacceptable” and that he could not rule out a criminal investigation into the leak.

The decisions by Britain and Germany to use Huawei gear in non-core parts of 5G network makes it harder to prove Huawei should be kept out of New Zealand telecommunication networks, said Syed Faraz Hasan, an expert in communication engineering and networks at New Zealand’s Massey University

He pointed out Huawei gear was already part of the non-core 4G networks that 5G infrastructure would be built on.

“Unless there is a convincing argument against the Huawei devices … it is difficult to keep them away,” Hasan said.

(Reporting by Charlotte Greenfield; Editing by Himani Sarkar)

Source: OANN

Listen to https://magaoneradio.net and Listen Daily! Don't Forget to Share Click a Link Below!
FILE PHOTO: The logo commodities trader Glencore is pictured in Baar
FILE PHOTO: The logo of commodities trader Glencore is pictured in front of the company’s headquarters in Baar, Switzerland, July 18, 2017. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann

April 26, 2019

(Reuters) – Glencore shares plunged the most in nearly four months on Friday after news overnight that U.S. regulators were investigating whether the miner broke some rules through “corrupt practices”.

Shares of the FTSE 100 company fell as much as 4.2 percent in early deals, and were down 3.5 percent at 310.25 pence by 0728 GMT.

On Thursday, Glencore said the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission is investigating whether the company and its units have violated some provisions of the Commodity ExchangeAct and/or CFTC Regulations.

(Reporting by Muvija M in Bengaluru)

Source: OANN

Listen to https://magaoneradio.net and Listen Daily! Don't Forget to Share Click a Link Below!

Listen to https://magaoneradio.net and Listen Daily! Don't Forget to Share Click a Link Below!
Current track

Title

Artist