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Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez calls out Jared Kushner’s alleged use of WhatsApp for government business

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., appeared to call out Jared Kushner, President Trump’s senior adviser and son-in-law, over claims he used the messaging service WhatsApp during a House hearing on Tuesday.

The committee met to discuss White House security clearances when the freshman congresswoman brought up media reports alleging that Kushner used WhatsApp to conduct government business outside official channels.

House Oversight and Reform Committee Chairman Elijah Cummings, D-Md., said in a letter that Abbe Lowell, a Kushner lawyer, indicated said her client had used WhatsApp to conduct official business, including by communicating with “people outside the United States.”

In his response letter, Lowell stressed that he didn’t say if Kushner had used WhatsApp to communicate with foreign leaders or officials. He also said he informed the committee that Kushner had complied with all protocols involving classified information.

ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ, LIZ CHENEY DISAGREE ON TWITTER OVER KNOWLEDGE OF 22ND AMENDMENT, CONSTITUTION

“We are getting reports from press and from a wide variety of sources that indicate that folks are suggesting that we are conducting foreign relations with folks with security clearances via WhatsApp,” Ocasio-Cortez said at the hearing Tuesday.

“Every day that we go on without getting to the bottom of this matter is a day that we are putting hundreds if not potentially thousands of Americans at risk. I mean, really, what is next, putting nuclear codes in Instagram DMs [direct messages]? This is ridiculous. We have to get to the bottom of this.”

Ocasio-Cortez said subpoenas were needed because “people in this administration are not cooperating.”

“And every day that there is an insecure line of communication that could be leaked, that could be hacked, that could be screenshot-ed without proper channels is a day that we are putting our national security at risk,” she said.

MSNBC, NBC NEWS STAY SILENT ON EDITOR DNC 'BULLYING CONTROVERSY,' EMBRACE OCASIO-CORTEZ WITH TOWN HALL

On Monday, Cummings released a memo with details from private committee interview with whistleblower Tricia Newbold, an 18-year government employee who oversaw the issuance of clearances for some senior White House aides. She said she'd compiled a list of at least 25 officials who were initially denied security clearances last year but were eventually granted access after senior officials overruled those decisions. Cummings’ panel has been investigating security clearances issued to senior officials including Kushner.

The letter comes about a month after The New York Times reported that Trump ordered officials to grant Kushner clearance despite the objections of national security officials, and after Newbold spoke to NBC News and other news outlets about her concerns.

The issue is setting up another clash between the White House and the Democrat-controlled House. Cummings said he will move this week to authorize his first subpoena in the probe.

Kushner failed to initially disclose numerous foreign meetings on security clearance forms, and, according to The Times, career officials recommended against granting him a clearance before Trump personally overruled them.

Fox News’ Frank Miles and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Source: Fox News Politics

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Larry Kudlow to Newsmax TV: Fed May Lower Rates Further

The Federal Reserve Board might be considering cutting interest rates further, National Economic Council director Larry Kudlow told Newsmax TV.

During a sit-down at the White House with Newsmax CEO Chris Ruddy, Kudlow was asked about what's happening at the Federal Reserve on Constitution Avenue.

From the White House — Larry Kudlow, director of the National Economic Council, sits down with Newsmax CEO Chris Ruddy to discuss the state of our economy, Trump’s agenda, and threat of socialism. See Larry with Chris on Newsmax TV Thursday at 6PM & 9PM ET via Directv 349, Xfinity 1115, Dish 216, Uverse 1220, Fios 615, Spectrum (see channels), or More Info Here

Read Newsmax: Larry Kudlow to Newsmax TV: Stephen Moore Still a Candidate for Fed Post | Newsmax.com 
Urgent: Do you approve of Pres. Trump? Vote Here in Poll 

"I think the Fed is moving toward rate cuts," Kudlow said. "That is my view. It's true in the open market, the funds rate has traded a bit high, but I think they're moving toward rate cuts."

Fed chairman Jerome Powell raised the federal funds rate four times, by a quarter point each, in 2018, which President Donald Trump criticized for slowing down economic growth.

Last week, the 71-year-old Kudlow said it's even possible that the Fed won't raise rates again "in my lifetime."

The Fed acknowledged in March that it may not raise rates at all in 2019.

From the White House — Larry Kudlow, director of the National Economic Council, sits down with Newsmax CEO Chris Ruddy to discuss the state of our economy, Trump’s agenda, and threat of socialism. See Larry with Chris on Newsmax TV Thursday at 6PM & 9PM ET via Directv 349, Xfinity 1115, Dish 216, Uverse 1220, Fios 615, Spectrum (see channels), or More Info Here

Read Newsmax: Larry Kudlow to Newsmax TV: Stephen Moore Still a Candidate for Fed Post | Newsmax.com 
Urgent: Do you approve of Pres. Trump? Vote Here in Poll 

Source: NewsMax Politics

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Domino’s same-store sales at company-owned U.S. outlets miss estimates

FILE PHOTO: A Domino's Pizza restaurant is seen in Los Angeles
FILE PHOTO: A Domino's Pizza restaurant is seen in Los Angeles, California, U.S. July 18, 2018. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson/File Photo

April 24, 2019

(Reuters) – Domino’s Pizza Inc missed Wall Street estimates for quarterly same-store sales growth in the United States on Wednesday, hurt by growing competition from food delivery startups and rival pizzerias.

Same-store sales at company-owned U.S. outlets grew 2.1 percent – slowest in at least three years – widely missing the average estimate of 4.02 percent, according to IBES Refinitiv data.

The popular pizza chain has been facing intense competition from delivery services such as GrubHub Inc and UberEats, which offer a wide range of cuisines from a variety of restaurants.

To claw back some market share, Domino’s has been aggressively growing its store count by opening more small-format outlets, with fewer seating, to deliver faster by bringing delivery areas tighter and closer together.

The company has about 16,000 outlets worldwide and aims to grow to 25,000 stores by end of 2025.

The multiple store strategy, termed fortressing, has helped Domino’s improve the quality and speed of its delivery, but skewed sales toward newer outlets, hitting same-store sale comparisons and also overcrowding the market.

Domino’s said U.S. comparable sales fell between 1 and 1.5 points in 2018, but it was willing to make the investment for long-term growth.

International same-store sales for the company were also weak, rising only 1.8 percent, well below the estimate of 2.43 percent.

“We remain focused on improving international comps,” Chief Executive Officer Ritch Allison said in a statement.

Net income rose to $92.7 million, or $2.20 per share, in the first quarter ended March 24, from $88.8 million, or $2 per share, a year earlier.

Total revenue rose 6.4 percent to $836 million, but missed Wall Street’s forecast of $849.6 million.

(Reporting by Nivedita Balu and Aishwarya Venugopal in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli)

Source: OANN

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Trump says North Korea potential is ‘awesome’ but experts warn against hasty peace deal

U.S. President Donald Trump arrives at Noi Bai Airport for the US-DPRK summit in Hanoi
U.S. President Donald Trump arrives at Noi Bai Airport for the US-DPRK summit in Hanoi, Vietnam February 26, 2019. REUTERS/Kham/Pool

February 27, 2019

(Reuters) –

0240 GMT: TRUMP SEES AWESOME POTENTIAL FOR NORTH KOREA

U.S. President Donald Trump said North Korea had “awesome” potential to thrive if it would denuclearize.

In a Twitter message ahead of his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi, Trump said: “Vietnam is thriving like few places on earth. North Korea would be the same, and very quickly, if it would denuclearize.

“A great opportunity, like almost none other in history, for my friend Kim Jong Un. We will know fairly soon.”

The White House said Trump would meet Kim at the French-colonial-era Metropole Hotel in Hanoi at 6:30 p.m. (1130 GMT) and have a 20-minute one-on-one conversation before a dinner scheduled to last just over an hour and a half. Both arrived in the Vietnamese capital on Tuesday.

(The Metropole hotel is seen ahead of the North Korea-U.S. summit in Hanoi, Vietnam: https://tmsnrt.rs/2VmjrnF)

0212 GMT: EXPERTS URGE CAUTION ON PEACE DEAL

Analysts however cautioned that a peace deal between the two sides would not end the North’s pursuit of nuclear weapons.

Officials and experts have said the two leaders are likely to sign a peace declaration to symbolically end the 1950-53 Korean War. Other agreements could be to open liaison offices in each other’s countries and adopting denuclearization measures, such as allowing inspectors to observe the dismantlement of North Korea’s Yongbyon nuclear reactor, in exchange for a loosening of U.S. economic sanctions against Pyongyang.

The London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies said a peace deal needed to be carefully worked out, otherwise it could lead to regional security risks. “Peace between Washington and Pyongyang might contribute to an untimely withdrawal of U.S. forces from South Korea, encouraging dangerous misconceptions in Pyongyang,” it said.

Daniel Russel, the top U.S. diplomat for Asia until 2017, said: “A peace treaty that leaves in place the arsenal of North Korean chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons that directly threaten Americans and our allies is not much of a peace treaty.

“The path to real peace on the Korean Peninsula begins with irreversible steps by North Korea to eliminate its nuclear weapons program.”

0215 GMT: MARKETS QUIET BUT MAY REACT POSITIVELY

Singapore’s DBS said news about details of denuclearization and the possible easing of North Korea sanctions would be taken positively by markets.

Nomura analyst Chetan Seth said in a note: “If we somehow see some progress towards denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, this could be another positive catalyst for Asian equities, particularly Korea.”

However, Nick Twidale, Sydney-based analyst at Rakuten Securities Australia, said although the summit is expected to be positive with regard to denuclearization, “little is expected in terms of market moving updates”.

(Graphic: Markets vs North Korea’s provocations – https://tmsnrt.rs/2BWJQkN)

0220 GMT: SUMMIT VENUE HOSTED CHAPLIN ON HIS HONEYMOON

Trump and Kim will meet on Wednesday at a storied French colonial-era hotel once used by the North Vietnamese government to house foreign guests during the Vietnam War.

The Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi has hosted dignitaries and celebrities from Charlie Chaplin on his honeymoon in 1936 to “Hanoi Jane” Fonda during her 1970s anti-war campaign and even Trump himself on a recent visit to the Vietnamese capital.

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt stayed in the 118-year-old hotel in 2007. The Metropole also hosted Graham Greene, who wrote part of his seminal 1955 work, “The Quiet American” there, and numerous war correspondents during the 20-year-long Vietnam War that ended in 1975.

EXEMPTING S.KOREA FROM N.KOREA SANCTIONS A POSSIBLE CONCESSION – ANALYST

One possible concession that could be offered to North Korea at the summit is exempting South Korea from sanctions imposed on the North for pursuing nuclear weapons, said Brian Meyers, a professor at South Korea’s Dongseo University.

“I urge everyone to focus less on the Pyongyang-Washington axis and more on the Pyongyang-Seoul axis because that’s where the action is,” Meyers said on the Reuters Global Markets Forum.

He said the key issue to be decided at the summit was whether the North would agree to close or allow monitoring of its Yongbyon nuclear facility. “This would not necessarily solve the problem of the North’s existing nukes but it would still be a significant enough concession to enable the Americans to loosen sanctions,” Meyers said.

Kim Young-hwan, an analyst at KB Securities in Seoul, said there was unlikely to be a strong reaction in South Korean financial markets to any loosening of sanctions.

“Stocks with exposure to inter-Korean business exchanges will benefit and post some gains in the following months,” Kim said. “But their weighting on the broad index is just around 4 percent, and therefore, you can’t expect any significant rally for the whole market even if there’s a material agreement at the summit.”

(To see an interactive graphic on inter-Korean relations, click https://tmsnrt.rs/2KdXMcS)

Other summit stories:

Live: North Korea – Reuters social media blog https://www.reuters.com/live/north-korea

(Hanoi newsroom, Swati Pandey, David Brunnstrom, Karishma Singh, Raju Gopalakrishnan)

Source: OANN

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South Carolina fifth grader died due to natural causes, not fight with fellow student, prosecutor says

South Carolina fifth grader Raniya Wright, who died shortly after a fight with another student at her elementary school last month, died due to natural causes, a prosecutor said on Friday.

Wright's family claimed she was being consistently bullied by another student in her class at Forest Hills Elementary, and the student baited her into a fight on March 25, during which the 10-year-old reportedly suffered substantial injuries after hitting her head on a bookshelf.

Prosecutor Duffie Stone said in a press conference on Friday that Wright's death was the result of a congenital condition called an arteriovenous malformation, a tangle of abnormal blood vessels in the brain. The child had repeatedly complained of headaches in the days and weeks before her death.

She added that no criminal charges would be brought against the student who allegedly fought Wright after the findings were revealed by the county coroner.

WOMAN GETS JAIL FOR RUNNING OVER SON IN SCHOOL PARKING LOT

"There was no evidence of trauma on or inside her body ... that would indicate that any fight (of) any magnitude contributed to her death," Stone said.

Authorities say that Wright and another student engaged in a fight during class on March 25, which did not involve any weapons. Wright was taken to the nurse, and paramedics later arrived to find the girl unconscious.

She was taken to a nearby hospital, then airlifted to the Medical University of South Carolina about an hour away in Charleston. She died two days later.

CALIFORNIA COUPLE WHO SHACKLED CHILDREN FACE LIFE IN PRISON

The Colleton County School district, which includes Wright's elementary school, issued a statement at the time describing the girl as bright, kind and involved.

“Our community has suffered a tremendous loss,” the statement read. “Raniya was a wonderful student. She loved to write, spend time with her friends, play basketball, and loved being a big sister. She was actively involved in her church as a junior usher.

"She will be missed greatly by her family, friends and the entire school.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Fox News' Paulina Dedaj and the Associated Press contributed to the reporting of this story. 

Source: Fox News National

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'Overwhelming evidence' man killed wife, 3 kids, before setting fire to home, authorities say

Investigators discovered “overwhelming evidence" that a Massachusetts mother and her three young children were murdered by their father last week before he set fire to their home and committed suicide, officials said Tuesday.

Luke Karpinski and his wife, Justine Wilbur, both 41, and their children, a set of 7-year-old twins and a 3-year-old, were found dead inside their Sheffield home March 13 when firefighters arrived to put out the blaze, which appeared to have been intentionally set.

FLORIDA WOMAN FOUND DEAD IN SUSPECTED MURDER-SUICIDE, POLICE SAY

Investigators located evidence of an accelerant in different parts of the home, including two 20-pound propane tanks on the upper floor, where Karpinksi and the children were discovered, Mass Live reported.

“This investigation is complex and ongoing, but we have uncovered overwhelming evidence suggesting that Luke Karpinski killed his wife and children prior to committing suicide,” District Attorney Andrea Harrington said.

Wilbur, whose body was found separated from her children and Karpinski, showed signs of a “traumatic injury” that occurred before the fire was set, Harrington said. Police did not find any evidence of guns in the home, she said.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The Berkshire Eagle, citing an unnamed source, reported Saturday that Karpinksi may have stabbed his family to death before starting the fire.

Authorities have not confirmed the family’s cause of deaths. Autopsy results for the couple and their children were pending as the investigation continued.

Investigators have not disclosed a possible motive for the killings.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Source: Fox News National

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Emails Show How Fake University Set Up by ICE Lured Foreign Students

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Source: InfoWars

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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.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

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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