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U.S.-backed SDF hand Iraqi, foreign Islamic State fighters to Iraq

A fighter from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) gives bread to children near the village of Baghouz
A fighter from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) gives bread to children near the village of Baghouz, Deir Al Zor province, Syria February 20, 2019. REUTERS/Rodi Said

February 21, 2019

BAGHDAD (Reuters) – U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) handed over more than 150 Iraqi and other foreign Islamic State fighters to Iraq on Thursday.

The handover was the first of several, two Iraqi military sources told Reuters, under an agreement brokered to handover a total of 502 fighters.

“The majority of the fighters are Iraqi,” said a military colonel whose unit is stationed at the Syrian border. “But we have a few foreigners.”

The mayor of Iraqi border town Al-Qaim, Ahmed al-Mahallawi, said some fighters’ families were also transferred.

“Early this morning, 10 trucks loaded with Daesh fighters and their families were handed over by SDF forces to the Iraqi army,” he said, using the Arabic acronym for Islamic State.

“The majority of them are Iraqis and the convoy was under maximum security protection headed to the Jazeera and Badiya military headquarters.” Both bases are located in Anbar province.

The SDF and the U.S.-backed coalition could not immediately be reached for comment.

News of the handover came as U.S.-backed forces were readying for an assault on the militant group’s final enclave in eastern Syria. The last civilians are expected to be evacuated on Thursday, to clear the way for the assault, the SDF said.

Around 800 of foreign jihadist fighters who joined Islamic State, including many Iraqis, are being held in Syria by the SDF, the group said. More than 2,000 family members are also in camps, with dozens more arriving each day.

Their fate has become more pressing in recent days as U.S.-backed fighters planned their assault to capture the last remnants of the group’s self-styled caliphate.

On Tuesday, Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi said Iraq was carefully monitoring the situation at its Syrian border amid concerns that the remaining Islamic State fighters could stream across the border.

The militant group still poses a threat in Iraq and some western officials believe that the group’s leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, may still be hiding there.

(Reporting by Ahmed Rasheed; additional reporting by Tom Perry in Beirut and Raya Jalabi in Erbil; Writing by Raya Jalabi; Editing by Gareth Jones and Alison Williams)

Source: OANN

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Popularity of Bolsonaro government plummets in Brazil: Ibope poll

Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro takes part in wreath laying at the Tomb of Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery
Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro arrives during ceremonies to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery during his visit to Washington in Arlington, Virginia, U.S., March 19, 2019. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

March 20, 2019

BRASILIA (Reuters) – The government of Brazil’s right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro has seen its popularity plummet since he took office in January, with just a third of those asked approving of its performance, according to a poll published on Wednesday.

Despite easily winning October’s election, Bolsonaro’s government has the worst approval rating of any administration at this early stage since Brazil returned to democracy three decades ago.

Pollster Ibope said 34 percent of those surveyed found the Bolsonaro government doing a “great/good” job, compared to 49 percent in mid-January. The government’s “bad/terrible” rating rose 13 percentage points to 24 percent, Ibope said.

Bolsonaro spent the week cosying up to U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington, without receiving much in return, sparking frustration among trade officials.

Back home, criticism of Bolsonaro is growing just as he has put before Congress his fiscally crucial but highly unpopular plan to reform the pension system. Most economists agree the system must be overhauled to shore up public finances and foster growth.

Brazil’s Congress is typically not particularly responsive to public opinion, but if the pension reforms were to spark street protests, the pressure on lawmakers to balk at the bill could have an impact.

Those surveyed who said they trusted Bolsonaro in the role dropped 13 percentage points from January to 49 percent. Those who say they have no trust in him jumped 13 points to 44 percent.

Bolsonaro’s strongest approval ratings are among higher income Brazilians, while the lowest ratings were registered in large cities, and in the poorer Northeast region, Ibope said.

Evangelical Christians were the social group that most trust in Bolsonaro, the poll showed.

Ibope surveyed 2,002 people between March 16-19 across Brazil. The poll’s margin of error is 2 percentage points.

(Reporting by Anthony Boadle; editing by Brad Brooks and Rosalba O’Brien)

Source: OANN

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South Carolina firefighter adopts puppy he rescued from under pile of rocks

A veteran firefighter in South Carolina adopted a puppy Saturday after he'd rescued the animal from under a pile of rocks the week before.

Capt. Paul Bryant with the North Charleston Fire Department was shown in a video posted to social media saving the trapped puppy on March 30.

Bryant and his fellow firefighters with Engine 201 rushed to the area after a man and his 5-year-old son heard cries coming from under the pile of rocks as they were riding their bikes.

PUPPY RESCUED AFTER CARRIED OFF BY OWL, DROPPED ON GOLF COURSE

According to a Facebook post from the Charleston Animal Society, the man and his son “decided to investigate and were surprised to see the pup under the rocks.” They rushed home to get a shovel and pickax to try to free him but were unsuccessful. When they realized they couldn’t get the puppy out, they called the North Charleston Police Department and Engine 201 was dispatched.

In a post on the North Charleston Fire Department’s Facebook page, Bryant, who said he has served with the Department since 2000, was seen digging the puppy out from under the rubble and pulling the dog to safety.

The puppy did not suffer any injuries; it was unknown how long the animal was trapped under the rocks. The dog was brought to Charleston Animal Society, Fox 6 reported.

WOMAN WHO WON $1.5 BILLION MEGA MILLIONS JACKPOT CAN KEEP IDENTITY SECRET; WILL DONATE TO CHARITY

After the animal society was getting the puppy ready for adoption by vaccinating it, getting it neutered and microchipped, Bryant requested to adopt the puppy himself, the media outlet added.

“This is meant to be, he’s my dog and he’s coming home with me,” said Bryant in a Facebook video on Charleston Animal Society’s page. Bryant also said he wa looking forward to “getting him home, getting him a stable environment. Just giving him the love that he deserves.”

In the video, Bryant said he appropriately named the puppy “Rocky.”

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“The good lord said, ‘this is your dog,’” said Bryant in the video.

Bryant said this was his first puppy rescue.

Source: Fox News National

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Salisbury, scene of Novichok poison drama, named Britain’s best place to live

FILE PHOTO: Salisbury Cathedral, in the centre of the city in which former Russian intelligence officer Sergei Skripal and a woman were found unconscious after they had been exposed to an unknown substance is seen at dawn in Salisbury
FILE PHOTO: Salisbury Cathedral, in the centre of the city in which former Russian intelligence officer Sergei Skripal and a woman were found unconscious after they had been exposed to an unknown substance is seen at dawn in Salisbury, March 7, 2018. REUTERS/Toby Melville

April 14, 2019

LONDON (Reuters) – The English cathedral city of Salisbury, the location of a deadly nerve agent poisoning blamed on Russia, was named as Britain’s best place to live by the Sunday Times newspaper.

The award comes a little over a year after a former Russian double agent and his daughter were found slumped on a bench, triggering a sequence of events which ended with one person dead and the West’s relations with Russia in the diplomatic deep-freeze.

The Sunday Times praised the “divinely attractive” city in southern England, previously best-known for its medieval cathedral, citing its friendly atmosphere, good rail links and the high-speed broadband connections.

“Whatever foes this beautiful medieval city has faced, from the Celts to the Vikings the recent Novichok poisonings, it has emerged victorious,” the newspaper wrote.

In the weeks and months after Sergei and Yulia Skripal were found, police uncovered a trail of evidence that they said lead back to two agents from Russia’s GRU military intelligence who visited the city to smear ‘Novichok’ poison on a door handle.

Russia has denied any involvement in the attack, and the two men said they were innocent tourists visiting the city’s cathedral.

“It’s famous not only in Europe, but in the whole world. It’s famous for its 123 metre-spire,” one of the men told Russia’s state-funded RT television station.

Nevertheless, British Prime Minister Theresa May blamed Putin for the attack and European countries and the United States expelled 100 Russian diplomats over the incident.

Large areas of the city center, which is just 90 minutes by train from London, had to be cordoned off for decontamination and one woman died after her partner found a perfume bottle which turned out to have been used to transport the poison.

Nevertheless, the Sunday Times said the city had bounced back, tourists were returning, and even the Zizzi Italian restaurant visited by the Skripals before the nerve took effect had reopened with a packed crowd.

The paper said it had looked at statistics like crime, schools and property prices in reaching its judgment, but that the award had also been based on less easily-measured factors like “beautiful scenery, culture and, above all, community spirit.”

(Reporting by William James; Ediitng by Angus MacSwan)

Source: OANN

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Weekend preview: Fords hope to continue roll at Talladega

NASCAR: Toyota Owners 400
Apr 13, 2019; Richmond, VA, USA; Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver Brad Keselowski (2) races Cup Series driver Corey LaJoie (32) during the Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond International Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-USA TODAY Sports

April 25, 2019

Certainly in recent years, Ford drivers have shown the way to Talladega Superspeedway’s famous Victory Lane — the seven most recent race trophies all belong to the manufacturer and its teams.

Yet NASCAR’s biggest and fastest speedway always remains a place where last-lap maneuvers and daring from-the-gut calls have produced some of the most thrilling and unpredictable finishes of the racing season. Ford has hoisted a string of trophies in recent seasons but the statistical examination of past driver performance keeps this historic venue one of the schedule’s most fickle and NASCAR’s best drivers perpetually on the verge of breakthrough and triumph.

Sunday’s GEICO 500 (2 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) is the next great superspeedway chapter. And for all of Ford’s recent winning patterns, Chevrolet and Toyota drivers are every bit a part of the statistical high expectation.

Team Penske driver Brad Keselowski owns five Talladega trophies — most of anyone competing this weekend. His Ford teammate Joey Logano is the defending winner of this race and has three Talladega trophies of his own.

But it’s Chevrolet driver Chase Elliott who boasts the top driving rating (91.3) and best average running position (10.8) even as he looks for his first win on the track. Fellow Chevrolet driver, Chip Ganassi Racing’s Kurt Busch is hoping his 36th start will result in his first win at the famed track. He leads this weekend’s field in quality passes (7,406) and laps run in the top 15 (66.7%) and more importantly top-five (eight) and top-10 finishes (19) even as he races for his first trophy.

Seven-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson is looking to snap a nearly two-year winless streak — the longest time in his 83-victory career between trophy hoists and champagne toasts. A two-time Talladega winner, he’s led the most laps (322) at this track among his competitors this weekend. This year’s Daytona 500 winner, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin is second with 302 laps led.

“I think superspeedway racing is just something where you have to stay out of trouble,” Hendrick Motorsports driver Alex Bowman said. “Things can change on track quickly and you just have to be able to stay out of harm’s way.

“We were strong in Daytona and our Nationwide Camaro ZL1 is usually pretty good on superspeedways. The new aero package that we tested in Daytona a few months ago should be interesting to run and I am definitely looking forward to how it does on track. I am ready to see how it does and get to the track.”

XFINITY DASH 4 CASH RAISES THE STAKES IN TALLADEGA

The NASCAR Xfinity Series’ next stop on the schedule is at Talladega Superspeedway for the MoneyLion 300 (Saturday, April 27 at 1 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) which presents a new chapter for all the championship contenders. For the first time this season there are no former Talladega winners or pole-winners entered in the race.

Add to that the Dash 4 Cash $100,000 bonus is up for grabs between four of the series’ hottest drivers — Cole Custer, Austin Cindric, Justin Allgaier and reigning series champ Tyler Reddick — and this weekend’s 300-miler on the series’ fastest track couldn’t be more wide-open. The highest finisher among those drivers earns the $100,000 check from Xfinity and qualifies for next week’s Dash 4 Cash. In addition, the highest top-three championship contending Xfinity finishers this week at Talladega will also qualify to compete for the big check next week at Dover International Speedway.

Among those talented drivers, Allgaier, in particular, is eyeing this race to get back in Victory Lane. The veteran is on a remarkable run of six consecutive top-10 finishes at Talladega — including a runner-up showing in 2016 and a third-place finish last year. His average finish (10.0) is tops among those with more than one start at Talladega and the worst he’s finished since 2011 is eighth (twice). He is currently fifth in the championship — 87 points behind leader Reddick. Only two-time race winners Cole Custer (227 laps) and Christopher Bell (428 laps) have led more than Allgaier’s 224 laps this season.

Not only will the JR Motorsports driver Allgaier be in a car to watch, Jeffrey Earnhardt will be back behind the wheel of the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18 Toyota this week. Earnhardt, the grandson of the late 10-time Talladega Cup Series winner Dale Earnhardt, was a major storyline in the series’ first superspeedway race in Daytona Beach in February. He started on the outside pole at Daytona and led a career-best 29 laps in the perennially contending JGR No. 18. This will be Earnhardt’s first start for JGR since Texas last month and first Talladega start since a career-best 12th-place finish there running a part-time schedule for a different team in 2015.

Championship leader Tyler Reddick is still looking for his first victory as well, and Talladega has traditionally been a positive place for him. He finished eighth last year in the Xfinity race and has two top-five finishes in three starts in the NASCAR Gander Outdoor Truck Series, winning the pole position in his first ever race (2014) at the superspeedway.

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series

Next Race: GEICO 500

Defending race winner: Joey Logano

The Place: Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway

The Date: Sunday, April 28

The Time: 2 p.m. ET

TV: FOX

Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Distance: 500 miles (188 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on lap 55),

Stage 2 (Ends on lap 110), and Final Stage (Ends on lap 188)

What to Watch For: Among active drivers Kurt Busch holds the top mark for top-five (eight) and top-10 (19) finishes. The late Dale Earnhardt holds the all-time record with 23 top-fives — including a record 10 wins — and 27 top-10s at the track. … Eight drivers currently ranked among the top-16 in the championship standings have never won at Talladega. … Four drivers have multiple series wins including Brad Keselowski (5), defending race winner Joey Logano (3), Clint Bowyer (2) and Jimmie Johnson (2). … Dave Marcis and NASCAR Hall of Famer Terry Labonte share the record for most Talladega starts (61). Kurt Busch and Kevin Harvick hold the mark among active drivers at 36 races. Busch has the most starts without a win. … Chase Elliott leads active drivers in best average starting position (4.167) and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. leads all active drivers in average finishing position (10.6). Ty Dillon is second to Stenhouse with an average finish of 13.5. Stenhouse has 11 starts and Dillon has four. … Seven drivers have won back-to-back series races at Talladega, but no current driver has. …. Jimmie Johnson has led the most laps (470) at Talladega in this week’s field. … The outside front row starting position (2nd) has produced the most winners (20). … The deepest on the grid a winner has started is 36th (Jeff Gordon in spring, 2000). The deepest on the grid an active driver has started and won is 34th (Denny Hamlin, spring, 2014). …Richard Childress Racing and Hendrick Motorsports are tied for most wins (12) at Talladega. … Ford has won the last seven races but Chevrolet (40 wins) leads the overall victory tally. Ford has 28 wins and Toyota has three. … The late Buddy Baker and three-time series champion Tony Stewart are tied for most runner-up finishes at Talladega with six each. Johnson and Harvick have the most (three) among active drivers. … In seven of the last nine races the margin of victory was .129-seconds or less. … Two-time Talladega winner Clint Bowyer has been involved in two of the closest four race finishes. He lost to Johnson by .002-seconds in April, 2011 in the closest race in Talladega history. Bowyer beat Jeff Burton by .018-seconds that Fall in the track’s fourth closest Cup race. … Bill Elliott holds the qualifying record of 212.809 mph (set in April, 1987). His eight poles is a record, too. Only Harvick has won multiple poles (2) among this week’s field. … No active driver won his first pole position at Talladega. Only David Ragan (spring, 2013) scored his first career Cup win here among active drivers. … Justin Haley will be making his Cup debut this week in the No. 77 Chevrolet. He won the ARCA Menards Series race at Talladega last year.

NASCAR Xfinity Series

Next Race: MoneyLion 300

Defending race winner: Spencer Gallagher

The Place: Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway

The Date: Saturday, April 27

The Time: 1 p.m. ET

TV: FS1

Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Distance: 300 miles (113 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on lap 25),

Stage 2 (Ends on lap 50), and Final Stage (Ends on lap 113)

What to Watch For: There are no former race or pole winners entered in Saturday’s race so a guaranteed first-timer will celebrate both those achievements. … Two of the last three winners of this race led only the final lap — Spencer Gallagher last year and Elliott Sadler in 2016. … Only one driver — Martin Truex Jr. — has won consecutive Xfinity Series races at Talladega. Truex won three straight from 2004-06. … The last time a manufacturer won consecutive races was 2011-12 when Kyle Busch then Joey Logano hoisted trophies. … Five active drivers have won both Cup and Xfinity races at Talladega — David Ragan, Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, Kyle Busch and Aric Almirola. … Dale Earnhardt Jr. was the last driver to sweep both Cup and Xfinity races in a single weekend, doing so in April, 2003. … In 15 of the last 17 years this race has had at least 20 lead changes. The most ever was 56 in 2011 when Kyle Busch won the race. … Only twice in 27 races has the polesitter won — Joe Nemechek in 1998 and Tony Stewart in 2008. … The farthest back a winner has started on the grid is 35th — Nemechek won from there in 2000. … Third place has been the winningest starting position producing three race winners. … Justin Allgaier holds a series-best six consecutive top-10 finishes at Talladega, but has never won at the big track. …. Cole Custer, Austin Cindric, Justin Allgaier and Tyler Reddick are eligible for the $100,000 Dash 4 Cash bonus this weekend. The highest finisher among them gets to cash the check. … Chevrolet has twice as many victories (15) at Talladega as any manufacturer. Ford has six and Toyota has four. … Reigning NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series champion Brett Moffitt will be making his season debut Saturday in the No. 8 JR Motorsports Chevrolet.

–By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service. Special to Field Level Media

Source: OANN

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AT&T pulls ads from YouTube over videos exploiting children

FILE PHOTO: An AT&T logo is seen at a AT&T building in New York City
FILE PHOTO: An AT&T logo is seen at a AT&T building in New York City, October 23, 2016. REUTERS/Stephanie Keith/File Photo

February 22, 2019

By Sheila Dang

(Reuters) – AT&T Inc pulled all its advertising from Alphabet Inc’s YouTube for the second time in two years after a magazine reported the platform displayed ads next to videos that showed the exploitation of children.

“Until Google can protect our brand from offensive content of any kind, we are removing all advertising from YouTube,” an AT&T spokesman said in a statement on Thursday.

The move comes just one month after the U.S. wireless carrier announced it would resume buying advertising on YouTube, after a nearly two-year boycott of the platform. The previous boycott was also due to concerns that its ads could run on videos featuring hate speech or other disturbing material.

The report by Wired magazine that commercials had run alongside offensive videos and comments also prompted food and beverage maker Nestle SA to pause advertising on YouTube earlier this week.

YouTube said it had removed some of the content, which violated its policies against child endangerment, nudity and other behavior it considers inappropriate. YouTube added that it disabled comments on tens of millions of videos that include minors.

“There’s more to be done, and we continue to work to improve and catch abuse more quickly,” YouTube said in a statement.

YouTube derives most of its revenue from advertising, and it has been one of Google’s fastest-growing units as consumers spend an increasing amount of time watching videos online.

Google does not specify its revenue from YouTube. Advertising research firm EMarketer estimates YouTube will net $11.4 billion in worldwide revenue in 2019 after accounting for revenue shared with content producers.

(Reporting by Sheila Dang in New York; Additional reporting by Paresh Dave in San Francisco; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)

Source: OANN

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Rep. Tom Reed: Measure Curbing National Emergencies Needed

Rep. Tom Reed, R-N.Y., said he supports an effort from Republican senators to save President Donald Trump from an embarrassing defeat over his emergency declaration for the border because Congress needs to start taking back its legislative powers.

"Congress has given that authority away to the president," Reed told CNN on Wednesday, after saying he backs the move proposed by Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah. "The president, even under the proposed reform that the senator and I are looking to do, still has the ability to act in an emergency, but it forces Congress to have to make a determination in each and every one of those declarations going forward."

The measure supports Trump in declaring the national emergency if he agrees to support a bill allowing future emergency declarations to be checked by Congress.

"If we don't want our president acting like a king, we need to start taking back the legislative powers that allow him to do so," Lee tweeted Tuesday.

However, Reed recently voted against legislation in the House to block the president from declaring the emergency, and he told CNN that was because he agrees there is an emergency.

"In future declarations, I am going to agree or disagree with that declaration by the president," Reed said. "It gets caught up in politics because they pick and choose in Congress when they weigh in on the National Emergency Act."

He said he agrees with Lee about the president "acting like a king" with such orders, as he believes any president "that is unchecked is using authority that is way beyond" his boundaries.

Source: NewsMax America

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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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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

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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

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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

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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

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