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Latest World News, World News, Current Affairs, Daily Current Affairs

Posted: 11 Mar 2019 05:25 AM PDT

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Tweets For Today

Posted: 11 Mar 2019 04:59 AM PDT






Picture Of The Day

Posted: 10 Mar 2019 10:00 PM PDT

Children sit next to their injured mother near the village of Baghouz, Deir Al Zor province, March 7. Civilians are evacuating from Baghouz as the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces launches a final assault to capture Islamic State's last enclave in eastern Syria. REUTERS/Rodi Said

WNU Editor: The above picture came from this photo-gallery .... Civilians flee Islamic State's last enclave (Reuters).

Is Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau Facing Defeat At The Polls When Canadians Vote Later this Year?

Posted: 10 Mar 2019 08:55 PM PDT



Michael Bociurkiw, CNN: Why Trudeau's 'Lav-Scam' scandal is snowballing in Canada

"Because it's 2015 ..." Most Canadians will recognize that statement as Justin Trudeau's simple explanation for the diversity and historic gender balance of his cabinet, sworn in November 2015 after the Liberal Party's landslide victory in the federal election.

Trudeau's gender parity move in the cabinet firmly placed the former high school teacher as the country's feminist prime minister, and on the global stage, Trudeau was a breath of fresh air, fit-for-purpose in the age of selfies, #MeToo, and squeaky clean politics. Many were entranced by his physical appearance, compassionate demeanor and seemingly insatiable appetite for photos with fans: Vanity Fair called him "the shining beacon of liberalism in North America," and images of world leaders and celebrities appearing to swoon in his presence became the internet meme "Prime Minister Steal-Your-Girl."

Read more ....

WNU Editor: Prime Minister Trudeau was in trouble before this story broke out, and what has happened in the past month has only made it worse. He has damaged his "brand of ethics and doing government differently" to his loyal supporters, while deeply dividing his political party. Another problem for Prime Minister Trudeau is that he is trying to spin a story contrary to a view point that most Canadians have which is that he tried to interfere in a criminal case. Bottom line .... there is no appetite in Canada to see senior officials in government trying to influence a criminal court case in favour of a company with close ties to them. But that is what they tried to do, and according to some, are still trying to do it. The Prime Minister is also not making the case to his supporters, and worse, putting them in the awkward position of defending a view that many of them do not want to be associated with. This is not how you resolve a crisis, and worse, this is not you treat your base of support. So what is the future? Canadians go to the polls in October, and I do not see a road path for Prime Minister Trudeau to get enough votes to be re-elected Prime Minister. My prediction. Unless Prime Minister Trudeau gets his act together and/or the opposition parties implode because they are incompetent, I can easily see a conservative minority and/or slight Conservative majority government running the government at the end of this year.

More News On Prime Minister Trudeau's SNC-Lavelin Scandal

Canada's no-sex, no-money scandal could topple Trudeau -- AP
'Trudeau must let her speak': Opposition leader Scheer criticizes handling of SNC-Lavalin scandal -- National Post
Canada's Justin Trudeau is Facing a Divisive Political Scandal. Can He Survive? -- Tara Law, Time
Liberals have taken a polling hit over SNC Lavalin - but Trudeau's taken a bigger one -- CBC

Four Days Of Crippling Blackouts In Venezuela (And Counting)

Posted: 10 Mar 2019 07:46 PM PDT





The Guardian: 'A city of shadows': fear as Venezuela's crippling blackout enters day four

Power outage – that Maduro blames on foreign saboteurs – could have dramatic implications for country's political future

When night falls on Venezuela's ghostly capital, an unnerving hush grips the streets of this once-bustling South American metropolis.

"You feel a profound silence all around you," said Alejandro Guzmán, a 26-year-old lawyer and one of millions of Venezuelans left in the dark after their country was hit by an unprecedented blackout some believe could have dramatic implications for its political future. "It's like a city of shadows."

Like many Venezuelans, Guzmán has spent most of the last three days without electricity after a crippling outage – that Nicolás Maduro's beleaguered administration is blaming on foreign saboteurs – struck at about 5pm Thursday afternoon plunging virtually the entire country into the gloom.

"I feel frustrated and I feel angry about what is happening – but we saw this coming," Guzmán said on Sunday lunchtime, shortly after the lights came back on in his neighbourhood of eastern Caracas.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: For the past few years I have been extremely lucky to have a good contact in Caracas who has been updating me on what is happening in Venezuela. Unfortunately .... I have not heard from him for the past two weeks, which is a first. I am sure he is OK, but this cut-off in communications is telling me that even where he lives (which is in the upper-class part of Caracas) is no longer immune to the disaster that is befalling all of Venezuela. And here is an easy prediction. If this black-out continues for a few more days .... the humanitarian crisis that it will spawn and the migration crisis that it will produce will be unprecedented for this part of the Americas. For the past few years I have written in this blog that Venezuela is still far away from becoming a disaster. I cannot say that anymore. Short of a civil war and/or foreign invasion led by the U.S., this is as bad as it can get.

More News On The Crises In Venezuela

Nerves fray, tempers flare as Venezuela blackout hits fourth day -- Reuters
Electric power returns to part, but not all, of Venezuela -- FOX News/AP
Misery grows for Venezuelans hit by power cuts -- ABC News
Rotting food and endangered patients: How Venezuelans are faring during continuing nationwide power outages -- The Washington Post
Venezuela: Juan Guaido wants state of emergency amid power outage -- DW
Juan Guaido: Nicolas Maduro has 'no diagnosis' for deadly Venezuela blackout crisis -- Washington Examiner
Venezuela military members in contact with opposition, says US National Security Advisor John Bolton -- AFP
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro 'fears' order to arrest interim President Juan Guaido 'would not be obeyed': White House national security adviser John Bolton -- ABC News

Is The U.S. Aircraft Carrier And Amphibious Fleets Obsolete?

Posted: 10 Mar 2019 07:16 PM PDT

Image: U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jake Greenberg

Noel Williams, War On The Rocks: Samson the Carrier and Goliath the Amphib: Twin Giants of a Compromised Fleet Architecture

The aircraft carrier fleet and the amphibious fleet are typically viewed as polar opposites: the fast nuclear carrier projecting strike aircraft from the deep blue on one side, and the plodding but versatile amphibious ship projecting Marine infantry in the littoral on the other. Despite obvious dissimilarities in speed, payload, and function, they both share a critically important place in the overall fleet architecture — they are both unaffordable anachronisms of a bygone era. The Navy does not have nor will it ever have (barring large-scale conflict) the resources to produce adequate numbers of relevant platforms while also maintaining its commitment to the super carrier and the amphibious fleet as currently designed.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: These fleets do not do well in war game simulations .... U.S. Keeps Losing Simulated Wars With Russia And China (March 8, 2019).

Foreign ISIS Women Are Isolated For Assaulting 'Infidel' Refugees At The al-Hol Displacement Camp In North-East Syria

Posted: 10 Mar 2019 07:12 PM PDT

A woman looks through a chain linked fence at al-Hol displacement camp in Hasaka governorate. Foreign ISIS women at the camp have been attacking other women for not complying with the so-called caliphate's laws

Daily Mail: 'They say we are infidels for showing our faces': Refugee women are attacked by ISIS brides at Syrian camp for failing to follow caliphate's doctrine

* As ISIS nears defeat women and children have fled to al-Hol displacement camp
* But foreign jihadis have been fenced off from Syrians and Iraqis by camp guards
* They threw stones at other occupants and even their children have made threats
* Countries must decide what to do with returning fighters still loyal to ISIS
* There are 62,000 people living at al-Hol - far over capacity and supplies are low

Foreign ISIS women have tried to assault others they deem 'infidels' for defying the caliphate at the camp where they are being held in northeast Syria - even as the jihadists are facing territorial defeat.

'They yell at us that we are infidels for showing our faces,' said a Syrian woman at al-Hol camp, where women and children were transferred from the ISIS final bastion in eastern Syria. 'They tried to hit us.'

'The foreigners throw stones. They swear at the Syrians or Iraqis and at the camp officials. Even the kids make threats,' said a security official at the camp.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: 62,000 in this one displacement camp with little food and water. 90% of the population being women and children. Can anyone say humanitarian disaster.

More News On Foreign ISIS Women Being Isolated For Assaulting 'Infidel' Refugees At The al-Hol Dispalcement Camp In North-East Syria

'There will be blood up to your knees': Islamic State brides in Syria vow to seek vengeance -- News.com.au
Foreign Daesh Brides Isolated for Assaulting 'Infidel' Refugees at Syrian Camp -- Spuntik
ISIS jihadi brides attack refugees at Syrian camp for 'defying the caliphate' -- Daily Star

U.S.-Backed Syrian Forces Attack The Last Islamic State Enclave

Posted: 10 Mar 2019 05:34 PM PDT



CNN: Heavy fighting reported as US-backed forces attack last ISIS stronghold in Syria

Heavy fighting erupted Sunday as US-backed forces attacked the last ISIS stronghold in Syria amid a final push to clear the jihadist group from the war-torn country.

A CNN team in Syria witnessed airstrikes, explosions and mortar fire in Baghouz after the operation by the Syrian Defense Forces began about 6 pm local time.

SDF spokesman Mustafa Bali said on Twitter Sunday that its forces were engaged in "direct violent clashes" and that its planes were targeting weapons depots.

Read more ....

WNU Editor:  This is going to end soon.

More News On U.S.-Backed Syrian Forces Attacking The Last Islamic State Enclave

US-backed Syrian fighters resume attack on Islamic State -- AP
U.S.-backed Syrian force attacks Islamic State enclave -- Reuters
SDF attack Islamic State group's Syria enclave Baghuz -- BBC
US-Backed Forces Launch Final Assault to Wipe Out IS Enclave -- VOA
US-backed Syrian forces resume attacks on final ISIL enclave -- Al Jazeera
Baghouz offensive: final push begins with a firefight -- The National
With shrouded faces, Islamic State fighters stand guard over final enclave -- Reuters

Young Americans Want Socialism

Posted: 10 Mar 2019 04:27 PM PDT


Axios: Exclusive poll: Young Americans are embracing socialism

Generation Z has a more positive view of the word "socialism" than previous generations, and — along with millennials — are more likely to embrace socialistic policies and principles than past generations, according to a new Harris Poll given exclusively to Axios.

Why it matters: The word "socialism" does not carry the same stigma it did in the past, now that it has been resurrected by celebrity politicians like Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Young people's political views often change as they grow older, but their support for socialistic policies is a sign that the old rules of politics are changing fast.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: Being one who has lived under socialism/communism,  I can easily predict this. If America truly becomes a socialist/communist, the end result will disappoint a lot of Americans.

Russia Outfitting New T-14 Armata Tank With A Toilet

Posted: 10 Mar 2019 04:04 PM PDT

Russian T-14 tanks drive during rehearsal for the Victory Day parade in Moscow REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin

Business Insider: Toilet-equipped tank: Russian engineers install latrines on state-of-the-art Armatas

* Russia is equipping its state-of-the-art T-14 Armata main battle tanks with toilets to make it easier for troops to take care of business in the field, Russian state media reported Thursday.
* The high cost of the new tanks coupled with repeated budget cuts led Russia to drastically reduce its planned order from more than two thousand to just 100 last year.
* Much like Russia's Su-57 fifth-generation stealth fighter, the Russians have put off mass production while putting greater emphasis on improving older systems.

It's hard to wage war when nature calls, so Russia is installing toilets in its troubled third-generation T-14 main battle tanks, Russian state media revealed Thursday.

The days of relieving themselves in fuel and ammo cans or hopping out to dig single-use latrines are apparently over for Russia's tank crews, at least those manning the T-14 Armata tanks, Ilya Baranov, a senior official at the Ural Design Bureau of Transport Machine-Building in Yekaterinburg, told TASS News Agency.

"A major hassle for [tank crews] is that they cannot relieve their natural functions," Baranov explained, "That is, water and field rations are available in the tank, but all the other conveniences are, unfortunately, absent."

Read more ....

WNU Editor: It is the little things that count.

More News On Russia Outfitting Its New T-14 Armata Tank With A Toilet

Toilet-equipped tank: Russian engineers install latrines on state-of-the-art Armatas -- TASS
Flushed With Pride? Russia Outfitting New Tank With A Toilet -- RFE
Russia's New Super Tank Now Comes Equipped With a Toilet—It's Called a 'Life Support System' -- Newsweek

Editor's Note

Posted: 10 Mar 2019 05:39 AM PDT

Spending some time with the girl friend. Blogging will return later today.

World News Updates, World News, Current Affairs, Daily Current Affairs, World News Updates

Posted: 11 Mar 2019 02:22 AM PDT

World News Updates, World News, Current Affairs, Daily Current Affairs, World News Updates


Turkish Airlines Flight to New York JFK hit by SEVERE turbulence - dozens injured

Posted: 10 Mar 2019 08:22 PM PDT



MORE than 30 people were injured aboard a Turkish Airlines flight from Istanbul to New York.

Ethiopian Airlines plane crash: Crash similar to this DOOMED Boeing 737 flight, pilot says

Posted: 10 Mar 2019 11:48 PM PDT



AN ETHIOPIAN Airlines plane crashed on Sunday, killing all 149 passengers and eight crew members – a former pilot has revealed the cause of the crash could be similar to that of the doomed Lion Air flight last October.

Ethiopian Airlines crash: Why did the plane crash? Who are the victims?

Posted: 11 Mar 2019 01:40 AM PDT



AN ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES jet carrying 157 people crashed into the ground shortly after take-off from Addis Ababa on Sunday. Why did the plane crash and who are the victims?

Hilarious moment Kangaroo PUNCHES paraglider as he touches down – 'F*** OFF' – VIDEO

Posted: 11 Mar 2019 01:34 AM PDT



A TERRITORIAL kangaroo scuppered a paraglider's safe touchdown at the Orroral Valley Space Tracking Station in Australia – watch as shocking video captures the kangaroo punch the unwelcome visitor.

World War 3 WEAPON: First footage of NAUSEA-INDUCING Russian hallucination gun in action

Posted: 11 Mar 2019 01:31 AM PDT



THE FIRST ever footage of Russia's new hallucination-inducing strobe gun has been broadcast on the Russian Defence Ministry's channel.

Venezuelans left with ROTTING food as BLACKOUT continues - ‘We NEED help!’

Posted: 10 Mar 2019 07:56 PM PDT



FURIOUS Venezuelans have turned on the government after enduring a fourth day of blackouts.

SHOCKING crash near Trump SUV sparks safety concerns - ‘Holy SMOKES!’

Posted: 10 Mar 2019 07:10 PM PDT



A DRIVER dramatically crashed their out of control car just yards away from an SUV carrying US President Donald Trump sparking fears for his safety.

The Taliban’s leader lived right next to a US MILITARY BASE, new book claims

Posted: 10 Mar 2019 06:24 PM PDT



THE former leader of terrorist group the Taliban lived within miles of US base in Afghanistan during the height of war, a new book claims.

Ethiopian Airlines crash: 19 United Nations staff on doomed flight to Kenya

Posted: 10 Mar 2019 02:16 PM PDT



NINETEEN United Nations staff were on board the Ethiopian Airlines flight that crashed today, as well as six staff from The World Food Programme.

Crufts 2019: Winner of Best in Show REVEALED

Posted: 10 Mar 2019 01:01 PM PDT



CRUFTS is over for another year, but the final day has certainly been jam-packed wth exciting events and results. Who won Best in Show?

World News, World News Updates, World News Headlines, Latest World News, Current Affairs

Posted: 11 Mar 2019 01:48 AM PDT

World News, World News Updates, World News Headlines, Latest World News, Current Affairs


Turkey’s Expulsion of German Journalists Has Reignited Concerns Over Press Freedom

Posted: 11 Mar 2019 12:50 AM PDT

Turkey has expelled three German journalists this month, igniting fresh concern over deteriorating press freedom in a country with a history of silencing opposition voices.

Two of the journalists — Thomas Seibert, a reporter with newspaper Tagesspiegel, and Jörg Brase, bureau chief of ZDF public television — said Ankara declined to renew their press accreditation for unspecified reasons, Agence France-Presse reports. They were given 10 days to leave the country in a move Berlin condemned as “unacceptable.”

Speaking in Istanbul before their departure Sunday, Brase and Seibert accused the Turkish government of trying to “silence” international media. Both journalists pledged to continue reporting on the country.

Their expulsion comes after German public broadcast correspondent Halil Gulbeyaz said he also saw his application for accreditation rejected earlier this month, AFP reports.

While the country has jailed dozens of Turkish journalists for alleged links to the failed 2016 coup, this is the thought to be the first time accreditation of foreign journalists has been denied, according to BBC.

Over a hundred media organizations were shut down by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government in the aftermath of the coup attempt, and in April 2018, 13 journalists working for an opposition newspaper called Cumhuriyet were sentenced to prison on terrorism charges.

Turkey remains the world’s worst jailer of journalists, with at least 68 people behind bars in connection with their work as of the end of 2018, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Germany’s foreign minister Heiko Maas tweeted Saturday that journalists not being able to “freely pursue their work” is “unacceptable” and that Berlin will open talks with Turkey to discuss the expulsions.

“[There is] no free democracy without a critical press,” Maas told Tagesspiegel. “We will continue to work for journalists to work without restrictions — even in Turkey.”

A senior adviser to President Erdogan denied a government cracking down on journalists, according to BBC.

Amsterdam’s First National Climate Change March Draws 40,000 People

Posted: 10 Mar 2019 10:56 PM PDT

Tens of thousands of people joined a climate change protest in Amsterdam on Sunday, urging the Dutch government to take action on climate change.

The demonstration, the first of its kind in the Netherlands, drew around 40,000 people despite heavy rain, according to Agence France-Presse.

“The high turnout is the proof that people now want a decisive policy on climate from the government,” Greenpeace, one of the march organizers, said in a statement.

The waterlogged European country is expected to be especially vulnerable to the rising tides brought on by climate change. Much of the country already sits below sea level, and some of its land is sinking.

While the U.S. has been backpedalling out of global climate change agreements like the Paris accord, Dutch lawmakers have passed ambitious climate change laws, seeking a 95 percent reduction of the 1990 emissions levels by 2050. But according to some in the country, the action isn’t happening fast enough. In January, a Dutch environmental research agency said the government is lagging behind its goals.

“We are under sea level, so we really need to do something about it,” demonstrator Esther Leverstein, a 21-yer-old climate studies student at Amsterdam University, told AFP.

Students around the world have been leading protests to prompt their governments to address climate change. A worldwide school strike is planned for later this week. Greta Thungerg, a Swedish teenager widely known for her climate change activism, said on Twitter that at least 82 countries plan to participate in the upcoming protest.

China Grounds All Boeing 737 Max 8 Planes After the Deadly Ethiopia Crash

Posted: 10 Mar 2019 08:06 PM PDT

(BEIJING) — China’s civilian aviation authority ordered all Chinese airlines to ground their Boeing 737 Max 8 planes indefinitely on Monday after one of the aircraft crashed in Ethiopia.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China said the order is to take effect by 6 p.m. (1000 GMT) Monday.

It said the order, issued Monday morning, was “taken in line with the management principle of zero tolerance for security risks,” because the crash was the second after another of the planes fell into the ocean off the coast of Indonesia in similar circumstances on Oct. 29, killing all aboard.

The head of Indonesia’s national transport safety agency, Soerjanto Thahjono, offered Monday to assist the Ethiopian investigation into Sunday’s crash.

Like the Ethiopian Airlines crash, which happened minutes after the jet’s takeoff from Addis Ababa and killed all 157 people on board, the Lion Air jet that crashed off Indonesia had erratic speed in the few minutes it was in the air.

The crash put global aviation authorities on alert.

Cayman Airways says it was temporarily grounding the two Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft it operates, as of Monday.

The president and CEO of the Caribbean carrier, Fabian Whorms, acknowledged the cause of the Ethiopian crash was unclear, but said the airline was taking the step because of its “commitment to putting the safety of our passengers and crew first.”

China’s aviation authority said it would issue further notices after consulting with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and Boeing.

Eight Chinese nationals on board the Ethiopian Airlines flight that crashed.

The crash in Ethiopia has renewed safety questions about the newest version of Boeing’s popular 737 airliner, since the plane was new and the weather was clear at the time. The pilots tried to return to the airport but never made it.

But safety experts cautioned against quickly drawing too many parallels between the two crashes.

it is very early, and more will be known after investigators find and analyze the Ethiopian plane’s black boxes, said William Waldock, an aviation-safety professor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

But suspicion will be raised because the same type of plane appeared to crash the same way — a fatal nosedive that left wreckage in tiny pieces.

“Investigators are not big believers in coincidence,” he said.

Waldock said Boeing will look more closely at the flight-management system and automation on the Max.

Boeing representatives did not immediately respond for comment. The company tweeted that it was “deeply saddened to learn of the passing of the passengers and crew” on the Ethiopian Airlines Max airplane.

The Chicago-based company said it would send a technical team to the crash site to help Ethiopian and U.S. investigators.

The 737 is the best-selling airliner in history, and the Max, the newest version of it with more fuel-efficient engines is a central part of Boeing’s strategy to compete with European rival Airbus.

Boeing has delivered about 350 737 Max planes and has orders for more than 5,000. It is already in use by many airlines including American, United and Southwest.

Alan Diehl, a former National Transportation Safety Board investigator, said the similarities in the crashes included both crews encountering a problem shortly after takeoff, and reports of large variations in vertical speed during the Ethiopian jetliner’s ascent, “clearly suggesting a potential controllability problem.”

But there are many possible explanations, including engine problems, pilot error, weight load, sabotage or bird strikes, he said.

Ethiopian has a good reputation, but investigators will look into the plane’s maintenance, especially since that may have been an issue in the Lion Air crash.

Ethiopian Airlines’ CEO told reporters a maintenance check-up did not find any problems with the plane before Sunday’s flight, “so it is hard to see any parallels with the Lion Air crash yet,” said Harro Ranter, founder of the Aviation Safety Network, which compiles information about accidents worldwide.

“I do hope though that people will wait for the first results of the investigation instead of jumping to conclusions based on the very little facts that we know so far,” he said.

The NTSB said it was sending a team of four to assist Ethiopian authorities. Boeing and the U.S. investigative agency are also involved in the Lion Air probe.

Indonesian investigators have not stated a cause for that crash, but they are examining whether faulty readings from a sensor might have triggered an automatic nose-down command to the plane, which the Lion Air pilots fought unsuccessfully to overcome. The automated system kicks in if sensors indicate that a plane is about to lose lift, or go into an aerodynamic stall. Gaining speed by diving can prevent a stall.

The Lion Air plane’s flight data recorder showed problems with an airspeed indicator on four flights, although the airline initially said the problem was fixed.

The director general of Air Transportation in Indonesia, Polana B. Pramesti, said the agency has been following up on an FAA airworthiness directive and is still evaluating the 737 Max 8 following the crash.

Days after the Oct. 29 accident, Boeing sent a notice to airlines that faulty information from a sensor could cause the plane to automatically point the nose down. The notice reminded pilots of the procedure for handling such a situation, which is to disable the system causing the automatic nose-down movements.

Boeing Chairman and CEO Dennis Muilenburg said in December that the Max is a safe plane, and that Boeing did not withhold operating details from airlines and pilots.

Pilots at some airlines, however, including American and Southwest, have protested that they were not fully informed about the new system.

The Lion Air incident appears not to have harmed Boeing’s ability to sell the Max. Boeing’s stock fell nearly 7 percent on the day of the Lion Air crash. Since then it has soared 26 percent higher, compared with a 4 percent gain in the Standard & Poor’s 500 index.

Malaysia Frees Indonesian Suspect Jailed for 2 Years Over Kim Jong Nam’s Killing

Posted: 10 Mar 2019 08:00 PM PDT

(SHAH ALAM, Malaysia) — An Indonesian woman held two years on suspicion of killing the North Korean leader’s half brother was freed from custody Monday after prosecutors unexpectedly dropped the murder charge against her.

Siti Aisyah cried and hugged her co-defendant, Doan Thi Huong from Vietnam, before leaving the courtroom. She told reporters she had only learned that morning that she would be freed. “I am surprised and very happy. I didn’t expect it.”

The two young women were accused of smearing VX nerve agent on Kim Jong Nam’s face in an airport terminal in Kuala Lumpur on Feb. 13, 2017. They have said they thought they were taking part in a prank for a TV show. They had been the only suspects in custody after four North Korean suspects fled the country the same morning Kim was killed.

The High Court judge discharged Aisyah without an acquittal after prosecutors said they wanted to withdraw the murder charge against her. They did not give a reason.

Prosecutor Iskandar Ahmad said the discharge not amounting to acquittal means Aisyah can be recharged but there are no such plans for now.

Aisyah was quickly ushered out of the court building in an embassy car. Her lawyers said she is heading to the Indonesian Embassy and expected to fly to Jakarta soon.

Huong’s murder trial was put on hold after the surprise development. She was to have begun giving her defense in Monday’s court session, after months of delay.

“I am in shock. My mind is blank,” a distraught Huong told reporters through a translator after Aisyah left.

Indonesian Ambassador Rusdi Kirana said he was thankful to the Malaysian government. “We believe she is not guilty,” he said.

Huong’s Lawyer, Hisyam Teh Poh Teik, said they will seek to postpone the trial. He said Huong was distraught and felt Aisyah’s discharge was unfair to her as the judge last year had found sufficient evidence to continue the murder trial against them.

A High Court judge last August had found there was enough evidence to infer Aisyah, Huong and the four missing North Koreans had engaged in a “well-planned conspiracy” to kill Kim Jong Nam. The defense phase of the trial had been scheduled to start in January but was delayed until Monday.

Salim Bashir, a lawyer for Huong, said previously she was prepared to testify under oath for her defense.

“She is confident and ready to give her version of the story. It is completely different from what the prosecutors had painted. She was filming a prank and had no intention to kill or injure anyone,” he told the AP.

Lawyers for the women have previously said they were pawns in a political assassination with clear links to the North Korean Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, and that the prosecution failed to show the women had any intention to kill. Intent to kill is crucial to a murder charge under Malaysian law.

Malaysian officials have never officially accused North Korea and have made it clear they don’t want the trial politicized.

Kim Jong Nam was the eldest son in the current generation of North Korea’s ruling family. He had been living abroad for years but could have been seen as a threat to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s rule.

China Defends Tibet Policies 60 Years After the Dalai Lama’s Exile

Posted: 10 Mar 2019 07:34 PM PDT

BEIJING (AP) — China is defending its often-criticized rule in Tibet 60 years after the Dalai Lama fled into exile amid an abortive uprising against Chinese control, saying those who question its policies are merely showing their anti-Chinese bias.

The statements in official media came as Tibetans and their supporters marked the anniversary Sunday and called for greater international support. Despite decades of such calls, however, the Himalayan region appears no closer to gaining greater autonomy, particularly as China’s global influence grows.

China’s official Xinhua News Agency said in an editorial dated Saturday that economic growth, increases in lifespan and better education in the region refute the claims of critics that Tibetans suffer oppression from Beijing.

On Sunday, an editorial in the Communist Party-run Tibet Daily attacked the Dalai Lama, Tibet’s traditional Buddhist leader, for what it said are his efforts to “sow chaos in Tibet.”

His “separatist plots are doomed to total failure,” the paper said.

The Dalai Lama has been living in the northern Indian town of Dharmsala since he fled from Tibet after a failed 1959 uprising against Chinese rule. Beijing accuses him of seeking to separate Tibet from China, which he denies.

Tibet is enveloped in smothering layers of Chinese security and many Tibetans abroad say the Himalayan region’s resources are being exploited for Beijing’s benefit while Tibet’s language and unique Buddhist culture is gradually being destroyed.

In India’s capital, New Delhi, at least 3,000 Tibetans marched about 3 kilometers (2 miles) through the center of the city on Sunday carrying Tibetan and Indian flags. Invoking India’s concerns over China’s expansive power in Asia and beyond, the marchers shouted slogans including “Tibet’s freedom is India’s security” and “India-China friendship is a sham.”

They also carried a portrait of the Dalai Lama while occasionally chanting slogans wishing him a long life and calling for freedom for Tibet.

“We have come here to remind the new generation that China snatched our country … that’s why we got together and started this movement,” said one marcher, Sonam Yougyal, 52.

Hundreds of Tibetans and Taiwanese rallied in Taipei, the capital of the self-governing island democracy that China also claims as its territory.

Tashi Tsering, chair of the Human Rights Network for Tibet and Taiwan, recalled what he called China’s history of reneging on agreements to Tibetans and others.

“We should not trust the Communist Party of China whatever it says,” he said.

China says Tibet has been part of its territory for centuries, although many Tibetans say they were essentially independent for most of that time. Communist troops took control of the region in 1950 after a brief military struggle.

Conditions in the region are difficult to independently ascertain because foreign travelers must get special permission to enter the region. Access is rarely given to foreign journalists, and the region is closed to foreigners entirely during sensitive anniversaries.

The Xinhua editorial did not directly mention Sunday’s uprising anniversary, referring to the events of 1959 instead as the inauguration of “democratic reform” that saw the dismantlement of the Buddhist hierarchy and feudal structures.

“Sixty years since the epoch-making democratic reform in Tibet, people in the plateau region have enjoyed unprecedented human rights in history,” Xinhua said.

“Undeniable facts and figures” related to development “debunk the repeated lies and accusations that aim to smear Tibet’s human rights with vile motives,” it said. “Anyone without bias will recognize Tibet’s tremendous progress in human rights.”

Among the figures it cited were a rise in life expectancy of 35.5 years in the 1950s to nearly 70 now; a double-digit growth in regional GDP over the last quarter-century; and reduction of poverty by 80 percent.

China has refused to meet with the Dalai Lama or his representatives until they surrender their conditions for a greater degree of autonomy and submit to Beijing’s authority unequivocally.

On Wednesday, China’s Communist Party chief in Tibet insisted that the Tibetan people feel more affection toward the government than to the Dalai Lama, who fled following the abortive uprising against Chinese.

The Dalai Lama hasn’t done a “single good thing” for Tibet since he left, Tibet Party Secretary Wu Yingjie said during a meeting of China’s ceremonial legislature.

Chinese rule in Tibet has grown harsher since anti-government protests in 2008 culminated in attacks on businesses and individuals of Han Chinese ethnicity, the country’s ethnic majority.

The government says rioters killed 18 people. An unknown number of Tibetans were killed by security forces in the aftermath.

More recently, traditionally Tibetan regions of western China have been racked by a series of self-immolations by Buddhist clergy and lay people calling for the return of the Dalai Lama, now 83 years old.

Also, on a visit to Prague on Wednesday, the prime minister of the Tibetan government-in-exile said he was heartened to see support for his people in the Czech Republic.

“Each time I come here, I get encouraged, I get the fuel to go back and say ‘There are people around the world who support us, who believe us,'” said Lobsang Sangay.

India’s Elections to Begin April 11 as Modi Seeks Another Term

Posted: 10 Mar 2019 06:34 PM PDT

(NEW DELHI) — India’s Election Commission announced Sunday that national elections will begin April 11, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist party seeks a second term.

About 900 million people are eligible to vote in a staggered process that allows the government to deploy tens of thousands of troops around the country to prevent violence and the capture of voting stations by party activists.

Chief election commissioner Sunil Arora said the election will be held April 11, 18, 23 and 29, and May 6, 12 and 19. The votes will be counted May 23.

Modi’s Bhartiya Janata Party, or BJP, hopes the government’s recent tough stand against Pakistan will help it retain its popularity despite suffering a setback in December when it lost three key state elections to the opposition Congress party.

Indian aircraft crossed into Pakistan on Feb. 26, carrying out what India called a pre-emptive strike against militants blamed for a Feb. 14 suicide bombing in Indian-controlled Kashmir that killed 40 Indian troops. Pakistan retaliated, shooting down two Indian planes and capturing a pilot, Wing Cmdr. Abhinandan Varthaman, who was later returned to India.

Since then, Modi and BJP leaders have been projecting the party and its leaders as decisive and tough on national security. Opposition parties, however, have accused Modi and his party of using national security matters to try to influence voters.

On Saturday, the Election Commission ordered political parties to tell their candidates and leaders not to display photographs of defense personnel in advertisements as part of their election campaigns.

The commission said armed forces are “apolitical and neutral stakeholders in a modern democracy.”

The order came after billboards featuring the BJP, including Modi and the party’s president, Amit Shah, along with air force pilot Varthaman, appeared in parts of the country.

While it is too early to speculate on whether Modi’s toughened stand will help the BJP, the December election setback is expected to revive the political fortunes of the Congress party, led by Rahul Gandhi, the 48-year-old scion of the Nehru-Gandhi family.

Gandhi, who took over as party president from his mother, Sonia Gandhi, in 2017, is also trying to bring disparate opposition parties together with his party as the main threat to Modi.

India’s last national election, in 2014, was conducted in nine phases. The BJP achieved an absolute majority, with 282 parliamentary seats out of 543. The then-ruling Congress party managed only 44 seats following bribery charges against several party leaders and poor governance.

After Second New Boeing Airplane Goes Down, Experts Voice Concerns — But Answers Will Be a Long Time Coming

Posted: 10 Mar 2019 01:45 PM PDT

Airline operators are racing to find answers following the crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, which went down shortly after takeoff from Addis Ababa on Sunday morning, killing all 157 people aboard.

The aircraft is the second new Boeing 737 Max 8 to go down in recent months, following the crash of Lion Air Flight 610 in October, which killed 189 people. The 737 Max is the newest version of Boeing’s popular single-aisle airliner and the Associated Press reports that Ethiopian Airlines has only had this particular aircraft since November.

“A brand new aircraft… having repeated fatal crashes would put a big question mark on this aircraft,” Bijan Vasigh, a professor of economics and finance at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, told TIME over email.

Caught at the center of two devastating crashes, representatives from Boeing have so far refrained from speculating on what may have caused Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 to go down.

“We extend our heartfelt sympathies to the families and loved ones of the passengers and crew on board and stand ready to support the Ethiopian Airlines team,” a representative from the aircraft manufacturer told TIME in a statement. The company also noted that a Boeing technical team would be heading to the crash site in order to provide technical assistance under the supervision of the Ethiopia Accident Investigation Bureau and U.S. National Transportation Safety Board.

Experts say it’s too early to know what may have been responsible for the recent crash of Flight 302, though they noted several similarities between the crash outside Addis Ababa and last year’s Lion Air Flight 610 tragedy.

“It’s an eye opener, because it’s the second accident and it’s almost involving the same kind of circumstances,” said Ahmed Abdelghany, a professor of operations management at Embry-Riddle. “It should be a concern, but it’s too early to confirm anything.”

Abdelghany noted the need for an in-depth investigation to determine the cause of the crash, particularly looking into the Ethiopian Airlines aircraft’s maintenance history. He did note several points of similarity between the two deadly crashes, including the fact that both involved the same model of aircraft, and also occurred minutes after takeoff.

According to Abdelghany, investigators will begin combing through the maintenance record of the aircraft and try to gain insights from its black box, though it will take two to three years to finalize a report on the main reasons behind the crash. Though he says it is likely that some travelers may try to avoid flying on 737 Max 8 aircraft, at least until more answers come to light, he stressed that it is the responsibility of the airline to make sure their airplanes are safe.

“Indications are these two accidents were not caused by human error, but were caused by mechanical error and transfer of information from cockpit to the pilot,” Vasigh told TIME, noting that it was still much too early to know the exact cause of Sunday’s crash. He also noted that Ethiopian Airlines has an excellent safety record and that Flight 302 was under the command of an experienced pilot.

According to Ethiopian Airlines, the pilot of Flight 302, Yared Getachew, had more than 8,000 hours of flying time and a record of “commendable performance.” The crashed plan had undergone a “rigorous” maintenance check in early February.

Following last year’s Lion Air crash, the New York Times reported that investigators determined new Boeing software might have been behind the disaster. The Times said investigators found the software “can send the plane into a fatal descent if the altitude and angle information being fed into the computer system is incorrect.”

Abdelghany noted the importance of training pilots in new aeronautics systems, especially when changes have been implemented in new aircraft. He also noted brewing concerns regarding Boeing’s Max 8 aircraft.

“If it takes serious action to stop this aircraft until we make sure it’s safe, we should take that action of course,” said Abdelghany. “People and safety come first.”

President Trump Would Be ‘Pretty Disappointed’ If North Korea Tests a Rocket, Bolton Says

Posted: 10 Mar 2019 07:49 AM PDT

(WEST PALM BEACH, Florida) — The top national security adviser says President Donald Trump would be “pretty disappointed” if North Korea were to launch a new rocket or missile test, as some experts believe he could be preparing to do.

Speaking on ABC’s “This Week,” John Bolton would not confirm reports based on commercial satellite imagery that North Korea is making moves, saying he’d rather not go into specifics.

But he says the U.S. government is watching North Korea “constantly,” and that, “Nothing in the proliferation game surprises me anymore.”

He also says Trump would “be pretty disappointed if Kim Jong Un went ahead and did something like that” after he vowed not to at a summit in Vietnam.

The new activity was detected at a North Korean missile research center and long-range rocket site.

157 Believed Dead in Ethiopian Airlines Plane Crash

Posted: 10 Mar 2019 05:27 AM PDT

(ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia) — A jetliner carrying 157 people crashed shortly after takeoff from the Ethiopian capital Sunday, killing everyone aboard and carving a crater into the ground, authorities said. At least 35 nationalities were among the dead.

It was not clear what caused the Ethiopian Airlines plane to go down in clear weather on its way to Nairobi, the capital of neighboring Kenya. The accident was strikingly similar to last year’s crash of a Lion Air jet that plunged into the Java Sea, killing 189 people. Both crashes involved the Boeing 737 Max 8, and both happened minutes after the jets became airborne.

The Ethiopian pilot sent out a distress call and was given clearance to return to the airport in Addis Ababa, the airline’s CEO told reporters.

Families around the world grieved. At the Addis Ababa airport, a woman called a mobile number in vain. “Where are you, my son?” she said, in tears. Others cried as they approached the terminal.

At the crash site, the impact caused the plane to shatter into small pieces. Personal belongings and aircraft parts were strewn across the freshly churned earth. Bulldozers dug into the crater to pull out buried pieces of the jet.

Red Cross teams and others searched for human remains. In one photo, teams could be seen loading black plastic bags into trucks.

As sunset approached, crews were still searching for the plane’s flight-data recorder, the airline’s chief operating officer said.

Other worried families gathered in Nairobi. Agnes Muilu came to pick up his brother: “I just pray that he is safe or he was not on it.”

Relatives were frustrated by the lack of word on loved ones.

“Why are they taking us round and round. It is all over the news that the plane crashed,” said Edwin Ong’undi, who was waiting for his sister. “All we are asking for is information to know about their fate.”

The accident is likely to renew questions about the 737 Max, the newest version of the single-aisle airliner, which was first introduced in 1967 and became the world’s most common passenger jet.

Indonesian investigators have not determined a cause for the October crash, but days after the accident Boeing sent a notice to airlines that faulty information from a sensor could cause the plane to automatically point the nose down. The notice reminded pilots of the procedure for handling such a situation.

The Lion Air cockpit data recorder showed that the jet’s airspeed indicator had malfunctioned on its last four flights, though the airline initially said problems with the aircraft had been fixed before it left the Indonesian capital of Jakarta.

Safety experts cautioned against drawing too many comparisons between the two crashes until more is known about Sunday’s disaster.

The Ethiopian Airlines CEO “stated there were no defects prior to the flight, so it is hard to see any parallels with the Lion Air crash yet,” said Harro Ranter, founder of the Aviation Safety Network, which compiles information about accidents worldwide.

The airline published a photo showing its CEO standing in the wreckage.

The Ethiopian plane was new, having been delivered to the airline in November.

State-owned Ethiopian Airlines is widely considered the best-managed airline in Africa and calls itself Africa’s largest carrier. It has ambitions of becoming the gateway to the continent and is known as an early buyer of new aircraft.

“Ethiopian Airlines is one of the safest airlines in the world. At this stage we cannot rule out anything,” CEO Tewolde Gebremariam said.

The airline said 149 passengers and eight crew members were thought to be on the plane.

Ethiopian Airlines issued a list showing 35 nationalities among the dead, including 32 Kenyans and 18 Canadians. The list reflected a broad range of backgrounds, with passengers from China, the United States, Saudi Arabia, Nepal, Israel, India and Somalia. Several countries lost more than five citizens.

Some of those aboard were thought to be traveling to a major United Nations environmental meeting scheduled to start Monday in Nairobi.

The plane crashed six minutes after departing, plowing into the ground at Hejere near Bishoftu, or Debre Zeit, some 50 kilometers (31 miles) south of Addis Ababa, at 8:44 a.m.

The jetliner showed unstable vertical speed after takeoff, air traffic monitor Flightradar 24 said in a Twitter post.

The Addis Ababa-Nairobi route links East Africa’s two largest economic powers and is popular with tourists making their way to safaris and other destinations. Sunburned travelers and tour groups crowd the Addis Ababa airport’s waiting areas, along with businessmen from China and elsewhere.

The jet’s last maintenance was on Feb. 4, and it had flown just 1,200 hours. The pilot was a senior aviator, joining the airline in 2010, the CEO said.

The Boeing 737 Max 8 was one of 30 being delivered to the airline, Boeing said in a statement in July when the first was delivered.

Boeing said a technical team was ready to provide assistance at the request of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board.

The last deadly crash of an Ethiopian Airlines passenger flight was in 2010, when a plane went down minutes after takeoff from Beirut, killing all 90 people on board.

African air travel, long troubled and chaotic, has improved in recent years, with the International Air Transport Association in November noting “two years free of any fatalities on any aircraft type.”

Ethiopian officials declared Monday a national day of mourning.

Sunday’s crash comes as the country’s reformist prime minister, Abiy Ahmed, has vowed to open up the airline and other sectors to foreign investment in a major transformation of the state-centered economy.

Ethiopian Airlines’ expansion has included the recent opening of a route to Moscow and the inauguration in January of a new passenger terminal in Addis Ababa to triple capacity.

Speaking at the inauguration, the prime minister challengedthe airline to build a new “Airport City” terminal in Bishoftu — where Sunday’s crash occurred.

Maharashtra: Teachers say election duty will lead delay in checking SSC papers

Posted: 11 Mar 2019 12:05 AM PDT

Maharashtra: Teachers say election duty will lead delay in checking SSC papers
Members of Maharashtra state board teachers' association, who are assigned with checking test papers, have been assigned election duties through letters.

Source: DI

Ahmedabad: Defrauder arrested after 17 years on the run

Posted: 11 Mar 2019 12:05 AM PDT

Ahmedabad: Defrauder arrested after 17 years on the run
A team from the Special Operations Group (SOG) of the city police nabbed Paresh Thakkar, 50 from Mumbai while he was there to visit his sister.

Source: DI

Mukesh Ambani needs an investor to back his next big disruption - economic news of india - world economic news - economics news for students - indian economy news

Posted: 11 Mar 2019 12:05 AM PDT

Mukesh Ambani needs an investor to back his next big disruption
Global pension and sovereign wealth funds and long-only infrastructure-focussed financial investors have been sounded out as Reliance Jio Infocomm's efforts to monetise its pan-India optic fibre assets to deleverage its balance sheet gather momentum.Three investment banks—Moelis, Citi and ICICI Securities—have been appointed to reach out to potential investors across the Americas, Middle East and Asia, and Australia, according to people with knowledge of the matter.Reliance is in the process of demerging the fibre assets into a separate company which could then be monetised via a sale and leaseback or infrastructure investment trust (InvIT) structure. However, it is keen to continue as the sponsor of the InvIT and even retain a minimum 15% stake in it. In that case, the remaining 85% will be sold to five global investors. Potential investors are said to include Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB), Caisse de Dépôt et Placement du Québec (CDPQ), Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Qatar Investment Authority, Kuwait Investment Authority, Kingdom Holdings, Khazanah, Allianz and Macquarie among others. The valuation of the fibre assets is expected to be $6-8 billion.The talks are still preliminary in nature and management meetings are expected to kick off in the coming weeks. The company is expecting to complete the transaction by the middle of the new financial year. The final deal contours will evolve as negotiations progress.Liabilities to Go Down: CFOA Jio spokesperson declined to comment.In January, after Q3 results, Reliance executives had spoken about demerging the fibre and tower businesses into Jio Digital Fibre Pvt Ltd and Reliance Jio Infratel Pvt Ltd, respectively. This move was a precursor to transferring fibre and tower assets into two separate firms to monetise them via a sale and leaseback or InvIT structure. Reliance Jio Infratel is expected to be sold separately to Canadian investor Brookfield.Brookfield, along with a clutch of insurers including ICICI Prudential, family offices of Russell Mehta and Poonawalla family, is also buying East West pipeline for $2 billion and will transfer the asset into a separate InvIT, ET reported on February 11. 68350813 "The end objective will be to have different set of investors who would want to run these companies. This means that these assets go off our balance sheets, so the liabilities also go down," RIL's joint CFO Srikanth Venkatachari said in January.Industry experts believe even though Singapore's Temasek and GIC — perceivably aligned to Bharti — may not be tapped for Jio, most other longterm capital pools will be tapped. "They have different return thresholds too compared to a fund like SoftBank or a private equity fund," said an executive whose firm has been approached.BACKBONE TO FUTUREJio operates 220,000 towers and over 300,000 route kilometres of fibre. The telco, backed by a Rs 3 lakh crore capital investment, said its home broadband and enterprise service —JioGigaFiber—has seen strong customer interest across 1,400 cities. It had notched up 280.1 million subscribers at the end of Q3. Jio is the key tenant of the fibre backbone but in the future it may lease out the pipe to others as well. Incremental capital expenditure related to network infrastructure will also be made by the InvIT, which will lower Jio's capex intensity."With DSL and ethernet forming 75% of current fixed-line broadband connections, a strong fibre offering by Jio could drive market-share gains," said CLSA's Deepti Chaturvedi and Akshat Agarwal. "Jio has reiterated target of 50 million home broadband subscribers. We estimate that 10 million subscribers at Rs 700 average revenue per user would add incremental Rs 11,000 crore to capex and Rs 3,500 crore to ebitda (13% of FY20CL ebitda) and $4.4 billion to Jio's EV."According to their estimates, Jio's net debt is at Rs 1.12 lakh crore, including Rs 21,100 crore in spectrum liabilities due to the government at December-end. The firm clocked an ebitda (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation) of Rs 4,053 crore in the third quarter, which annualises to over Rs 16,000 crore, putting the new entrant's leverage ratio at around 7x.Chairman Mukesh Ambani had announced plans to launch Jio GigaFiber at the 2018 AGM. Although timelines have not been specified, Jio is putting the fibre network in place to deliver fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) services ahead of its shift to 5G.The Jio GigaFiber service, which will threaten existing broadband, DTH and cable TV operators, will offer a combination of services including high-speed internet access, video on demand, broadcast and IPTV, music, video conferencing and ecommerce among others, all enabled by a single connection. Using the same pipe it also seeks to provide new generation services like internet of things and home security. It has also acquired controlling stakes in Hathway and Den Networks, two of India's largest cable TV operators, and have invested in content production directly through Viacom 18 (via TV18 Broadcast) as well as acquired non-controlling interest in several content firms.Reliance is building this quadruple play by bundling connectivity, carriage, content and commerce to gain a higher share of consumer wallets and stickiness, comparable to that of Alibaba and Amazon. As per estimates by UBS, the consumer-centric ecosystem can generate 47% of RIL's consolidated ebitda by FY23. However, the capital expenditure of the consumer-facing businesses is likely to remain high due to intensifying competition and hence the net debt will expand even in FY20, declining only from FY21, analysts at the Swiss investment bank have said.Jio's rivals are seeking to match the competition. Bharti Airtel is in talks with Vodafone Idea to create a fibre joint venture similar to their co-owned tower company, Indus Towers.
Source: ET

A nasty tax surprise may be coming your way - economic news of india - world economic news - economics news for students - indian economy news

Posted: 11 Mar 2019 12:05 AM PDT

A nasty tax surprise may be coming your way
MUMBAI: Some taxpayers may be in for a nasty surprise in the next few weeks if the taxman has his way.The income tax (I-T) department is stepping in to lift some of the stay orders obtained by taxpayers from appellate tribunals which function as quasi judicial authority.The rationale behind the department's action is a Supreme Court ruling that stay orders, irrespective of whether a case is criminal or civil, will not extend beyond six months except in exceptional cases.Thus, the department is focusing on cases where I-T Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) has extended stay orders beyond six months.The move is aimed to shore up revenue before March 31: if a stay can be vacated in the next few weeks, the taxpayer would come under immediate pressure to pay up before fiscal closing."But the SC's decision may not apply to proceedings before ITAT as ITAT is not a court and tax proceedings cannot be equated with trials," said senior chartered accountant Dilip Lakhani.A few applications (to vacate stay orders) have already been filed in ITAT and more are expected by March 15, sources told ET. It is learnt that the decision to move ITAT was endorsed by PC Mody, chairman, Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), during a recent video conference with senior tax officials.The tax department's desperation stems from a stiff target of Rs 12 lakh crore fixed in the Interim Budget. Total net collection as on March 7, 2019, was a little over Rs 8.45 lakh crore — up from Rs 7.79 lakh crore till February 20.Tax professionals, who are familiar with the department's high-pitched demands, delayed refunds, and aggressive recovery of tax deducted at source (TDS) are somewhat taken aback by the recent development."Considering the facts of a case, the ITAT judiciously grants extension beyond 6 months... in case where Tribunal has given ruling in favour of the assessee after interpreting the law in a particular manner, and on the same law point there is a subsequent SC decision overruling the earlier position, then it can be construed that there was mistake apparent from record; but, when ITAT has stayed the demand based on facts the above principle of law cannot apply," said Lakhani. In the case Asian Resurfacing of Road Agency & others versus Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which the I-T department is relying on, the apex court on March 28, 2018, said: "Delay in trials affects the faith in Rule of Law and efficacy of the legal system. It affects social welfare and development. Even in civil or tax cases it has been laid down that power to grant stay has to be exercised with restraint… In cases where stay is granted in future, the same will end on expiry of six months from the date of such order unless similar extension is granted by a speaking order. The speaking order must show that the case was of such exceptional nature..."Having received the assessment order, a taxpayer can first challenge the order before Commissioner of I-T Appeals and is required to deposit 20% of the amount on obtaining a stay; if the appeal is dismissed, the assessee can move the ITAT. The Tribunal may grant a stay for six months and even extend it for another six months but rarely beyond a year."This means assessees would now need to approach high court for reinstatement of stay after 6 months. The department's stance is purely aimed at augmenting collection.A stay pending justice is a right which assessees enjoy... Such applications by the department may not carry the right message, particularly for high-pitch assessments….," said Mitil Chokshi, partner at Chokshi & Chokshi.CBDT's responseResponding to ET's query, a CBDT spokesperson said: "…the department in its normal course of functioning is interested in the expeditious disposal of each case on merits, including those involving stay matters. Each case needs to be taken to a logical conclusion which may, at times, necessitate moving for vacation of stay depending on the facts of each case.That it may result in a collection of revenue may only be incidental." "The apex court in its recent decision has also endorsed periodic review of such matters, an action which is routinely being done by the department while monitoring all cases, including those which may involve stay matters," the person added.
Source: ET

Is your job in trouble? Here's how to find out - economic news of india - world economic news - economics news for students - indian economy news

Posted: 11 Mar 2019 12:05 AM PDT

Is your job in trouble? Here's how to find out
NEW DELHI: One of the biggest uncertainties in an employee's life is triggered by two small words: "You're fired!" With a family to support, bills to pay and EMI liabilities to take care of, the sudden truncation of income can let loose untold trauma. This havoc was probably played out in countless homes last year, with 1.09 crore job losses reported in 2018 by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE). Nearly 83% of these were in rural India and, in urban areas, it was limited to specific sectors and industries.The telecom sector saw a major disruption in 2018, with BSNL reportedly asked to remove 35,000 employees, Aircel letting go of 5,000, and Telenor firing as many as 700 staffers. "The telecom sector endured a difficult year, whittling the playing field from eight to four, due to pricing pressures, technology transformation and unsustainable debt," says Paul Dupuis, MD & CEO, Randstad India. The tech sector, too, witnessed downsizing, with Cognizant laying off 200 people and SAP letting go of 300-400 staffers.Some of these sectors may continue to go slow this year. "The year 2019 will be one of cautious growth in terms of headcount addition by India Inc," says Dupuis. "Telecom, construction and real estate, and BPO/ITeS will see the slowest job creation this year," says Neeti Sharma, Senior Vice-President, TeamLease. On the other hand, the sectors that will show growth include IT, infrastructure, manufacturing and healthcare, as per Randstad. Some HR firms are more upbeat about jobs in 2019, with Mercer India claiming that more than 50% of companies intend to increase hiring and only 3% firms may reduce the headcount.Losing a job is not merely a function of macro factors, such as overall economic slowdown or poor sectoral performance. It could be just your company that has fallen into bad times or, more likely, your own performance that has left a lot to be desired. Whatever the reason for dismissal, it seldom comes without a warning. There are signs aplenty to watch out for before the axe comes. Has the company imposed a hiring freeze or are you the only one who has missed out on an increment this year? Is your relationship with the boss deteriorating or are new people being brought in to do the same job as yours? Are you witnessing an exodus in the company or are you suddenly missing out on all the plum assignments?"Awareness is key to staying a step ahead of being laid off. Awareness with regards to the company's financials and operational health can help serve as a barometer for whether or not you are in danger of losing your job," says Dupuis. While there's little you can do to alter the macro factors, upgrading your performance is in your own hands. So be vigilant and tune into the skills that are likely to be in demand in the coming years, or upskill yourself to stay at the top of your career.In the following pages, we will list six indicators to show if you are on the verge of losing your job and the steps you can take to mitigate this risk. Pay heed and you may never have to hear those two dreaded words.1. You've got poor appraisal & incrementHave you received consistently poor appraisals and less-than-average increments for two or three years running? It is a red flag that is hard to miss and one of the clearest indicators of what's in store.However, low increments should not be seen in isolation. If these are low across the board, it could be because of the company's underperformance or cost-cutting measures undertaken to tide over a bad patch. These could also reflect the industry or sector's trend over the years. For instance, the sectors projecting a double-digit increment in India have come down over the years, with only five sectors projecting a double-digit increment in 2019, according to Aon, a professional services firm. Employees, as per Aon, can expect an average hike of 9.7% in 2019, which is marginally higher than the previous years. So, if you get a 8-9% hike, it will reflect good performance, not bad.If, however, you receive a low increment, but the company and sector are doing well, you clearly are not. If the firm ever considers downsizing, you may be among the first to be fired. What to doThe first step is to talk to your boss or HR official to know the reason for the poor increment. "You could have been passive at work and may not have shown too much interest. Whatever the reason, if you act upon the feedback, you could have the promotion or hike," says Sharma."Have another chat to fix targets that are linked to the next promotion and obtain commitments and resources for the same," says Devashish Chakravarty, CEO, QuezX.com & Head Honchos. "If a promotion is unworkable due to no vacancies, evaluate whether promotion is important or only increment is adequate," he says.Also read: This is the key to job security2. You are losing plum projects, are out of loopAre important assignments that you handled earlier being passed on to juniors or other colleagues? Are you being left out of meetings that used to give credence to your inputs and opinions? It's also possible that budgetary constraints are being imposed on you and you are being hauled up for minor administrative lapses. All these are surefire indicators that you are no longer in favour with the authorities. If you want to stay relevant in the organisation, find out the reason for this change of heart at the earliest.A common culprit is competitiveness. Insecurity or rivalry could see your immediate boss or a team member taking credit for your inputs or creating an impression that you are not contributing as well to the organisation as you actually are. It's also possible that you have inadvertently said or done something that has not gone down well with the bosses or some of your actions or words have been misunderstood or interpreted wrongly.What to doFirstly, introspect if you have been the cause of your own downfall. Have you performed, said or acted in a way that could have offended the bosses? If you can't pinpoint it, talk to colleagues or your manager to clarify.Have a candid chat with your boss to understand why you are being sidelined and what you can do to change the situation. If the fault lies with you, accept it and commit to rectify it. If, however, the problem has become deep-seated and there is little you can do to resolve the problem, you may have to start looking for a new job.3. You are not learning new skills, stagnating at workYou should start to feel concerned if you have been performing the same tasks at work for more than a couple of years. "Performance is a prerequisite to ensuring that the employee is identified as a high performer or one with high potential by the organisation," says Dupuis.If you are not innovating, improvising and outperforming to contribute to the company's profits or visibility, you are likely to be branded a non-performer eventually. This could translate to an early exit if the company considers slashing jobs. "So it makes sense to be proactive to ask for intervention if one has hit a plateau in one's career," says Dupuis. This can be done by talking to your boss and requesting a redefinition of your work profile. You could also shift laterally in the organisation to fit into a role that suits your skills. Make sure you continuously upgrade and develop new skills or upskill yourself (see How to upskill) through specialised training courses.What to doTo ensure that you stay ahead of the curve and competition, learn to exit the comfort zone. "Volunteer new stuff, suggest initiatives, help colleagues, look for lateral transfers, and train to up your game," says Chakravarty. "It is also essential to identify roles that will allow you to grow, take up new challenges and show innovation at work," says Sharma. If things don't work out, find a new job for yourself.4. Machines are being brought in to do your workA development that signals distress for employees and has been in the making for a few years is automation and artificial intelligence. As per a survey on the future of jobs in India by EY and Nasscom, technology adoption will change the job scenario by 2022, with 9% people in jobs that don't exist currently, 37% in jobs with altered skill sets and 54% in unchanged jobs. Another study by PwC states that AI will replace jobs ranging from 3% by 2020 to 30% by mid-2030s in the US. So what are the indicators that you could be replaced by a machine?"The roles that require manual intervention, follow a standardised procedure and are repeatable will be impacted. Machine learning and robotic process automation will reduce the number of people required for customer service, back-office and testing roles, impacting the ITeS, IT and consumer-facing industries," says Dupuis. The other jobs include those in BPOs, data entry and basic banking operations. So take heed if you are performing any of these roles. And act.What to do"AI is here to stay and the sooner we understand it, the better it will be. The one way to combat it is to acquire new skills rather than become obsolete," says Sharma. You will not only need to keep up with the pace of digitisation by improving tech skills, but also focus on more niche segments. Another way is to upskill yourself by opting for in-house courses or getting fresh degrees.Also read: Where are the jobs in 2019? Find out5. Relationship with boss or colleagues is deterioratingHas your boss started ignoring your suggestions and mails, or is criticising your work? Are you having verbal spats with him in front of colleagues? If the disagreement is healthy and the criticism constructive, ignore it. But if the problem is deeper, spawning from personal or professional reasons, you will either have to find a way to bring the relationship on an even keel, or quit.Having frequent disagreements with your co-workers can also work against you. "The first to get fired are the ones who don't get along with others even if they are performing decently," says Chakravarty. "Bosses don't want the morale to suffer, so unpopular people are fired earlier for minimum impact on the team," he adds.What to doThe first step is to identify the problem. "Find out if the work-related, behavioural or personal problem involves both the parties or if it has been triggered by a specific incident," says Sharma. If it is professional and you are at fault, take responsibility and find ways to improve.If the friction still remains and the relationship is unworkable, seek a role or job where you can add more value because if you don't trust your boss, or vice versa, you will never be able to deliver your best. "If, on the other hand, the problem is personal, be outstanding professionally and impeccable in social behavior," says Chakravarty. It's difficult to get rid of an over-achiever or a popular person.6. Your firm is cutting costs or has imposed a hiring freezeYour job could be in danger not for any fault of yours, but simply because the industry or your company is going through a bad phase. In such a case, it could impose temporary cost-cutting measures in the form of withdrawal of perks or a hiring freeze. If things become worse or the financial problems last longer, as in the case of several telecom companies last year, the firm may even consider letting go of its employees. If this happens, the staffers in non-core functions will be the first to exit before the focus shifts to employees in core areas.You could also lose your job if the company undergoes a change in business strategy, or if it witnesses a merger and reorganisation. For instance, the merger of two e-commerce portals, Jabong and Myntra, both owned by Walmart, resulted in a loss of 200 jobs last year. Another indicator is the loss of senior-most employees or star performers. Conversely, a new boss could result in sifting and firings.What to doWhile there is little you can do to retain your job, tracking developments involving your company can prepare you for the eventuality. Keep tabs on the company's performance, as well as the sector, in the broader context. A gradual exodus of staffers and persistently low increments could also indicate danger to your job. If you suspect firings, update your resume, circulate it among head hunters and start a search for a new job.Also read: Top career skills to acquire in 2019What not to do if you are at risk…To protect your job and reputation, don't react impulsively and remain professional.1. Don't bad-mouth your boss or companyYou haven't lost your job yet. Talking ill about your boss or firm on social media may hasten your exit. Or worse, it will reflect poorly on your ethics if seen by prospective employers and scuttle your chances of getting a new job.2. Don't jump the gun and quit your jobThere's a chance that you may not lose the job. By acting hastily and accepting the first job offer that comes your way, you may find yourself saddled with a worse job without recourse to an easy exit.3. Don't stop working or be unprofessionalEven if you think you are losing your job, don't stop working. If at all, work harder and put in your best performance. Your work ethic and professionalism may be noticed and things may turn out differently for you.4. Don't wait to be fired, update resumeDon't preempt your dismissal, but be prepared. Update your resume and circulate it. Start a discreet search for a new job without letting others know about it.5. Don't lose emotional control at workDon't be frazzled by the negativity in office or rumours about your impending lay-off. Remain calm and don't talk about your fears or feelings to colleagues. Don't become offensive or defensive and certainly don't grovel before your boss to save your job.
Source: ET

Untrained ATC officials manning flights, claims study - economic news of india - world economic news - economics news for students - indian economy news

Posted: 11 Mar 2019 12:05 AM PDT

Untrained ATC officials manning flights, claims study
NEW DELHI: The Aircraft Accidents Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has said that some of the staff guiding planes at the country's air traffic control towers were not qualified to do so in a preliminary report on a near miss over Nagpur airspace that was released last month.The main reason was "handling of aircraft by an untrained/unauthorised radar controller, who was only trained to handle air traffic in the non-radar environment/procedural/planning," AAIB said, regarding the Nagpur incident.The AAIB said this wasn't the first time its inquiries had uncovered the presence of untrained air traffic controllers (ATCOs) guiding flights. On earlier occasions, 19 unauthorised ATCOs were found in Nagpur, 85 in Delhi and 20 in Varanasi.ET has seen a copy of the AAIB report."Detection of such a large number of untrained radar controllers guiding flights is a serious concern and should be looked into," said a government official, who did not want to be identified.The AAIB, which was formed in 2012 to investigate serious air accidents by the civil aviation ministry, was investigating the near miss between aircraft belonging to IndiGo and Emirates in January last year.The IndiGo plane at 33,000 feet had been asked to descend to 25,000 feet, bringing it close to the Emirates aircraft that was at 30,000 feet.The "unauthorised" ATC officer asked IndiGo to descend further despite the traffic collision avoidance system (TCAS) sounding on both vessels. Another reason for the Nagpur incident was failure of the radar controller to identify the conflict and take appropriate corrective action, the report said.It also cited the "casual attitude" of the controller in handling the aircraft and leaving the active channel frequently without a proper handover.Another finding in the report pointed to possibly inadequate staffing levels. It said controllers were exceeding duty time limits — they are meant to take a 30-minute break after every two hours.The Airports Authority of India (AAI), which provides ATC services in the country, didn't respond to queries. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), which began regulating controllers sometime last year, couldn't be reached.An air traffic controller dismissed the suggestion that untrained ATCOs are handling planes, at least in the capital's airport. "These untrained ATCOs are never allowed to guide flights and they do not do it in Delhi. There seems to be a lapse in the case of the Nagpur incident," said the official, on condition of anonymity.Earlier, ATCOs were being regulated by the Airports Authority of India (AAI), which is also the provider of air traffic control services, raising concerns over supervision.The regulation of ATCOs in the country had been one of the key concerns raised by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), which had led to a lowering of India's performance on key safety parameters in 2018. The government subsequently entrusted the regulation of air traffic controllers to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
Source: ET

Miraj Cinemas plan 200 screens in 15 months - economic news of india - world economic news - economics news for students - indian economy news

Posted: 11 Mar 2019 12:05 AM PDT

Miraj Cinemas plan 200 screens in 15 months
MUMBAI: Miraj Cinemas, the fifth-largest multiplex chain in India, aims to double its screen count to 200 in 15 months, keeping with its strategy of expanding by acquiring independent theatres and converting them.The big four which dominate the market — PVR, Inox Leisure, Carnival Cinemas and Cinepolis India — have been expanding businesses by acquiring smaller multiplex chains.Miraj Cinemas, owned by Rajasthan-based diversified business group Miraj, acquires single-screen theatres or independent properties and converts them into 3-4-screen multiplexes with amenities like Barco projectors, Harkness screens, Dolby sound, pushback seats and gourmet food.Mirage Cinemas is the sixth player to cross 100 screens. "We took over three months to reach from 96 screens to 100 because of permissions, but since then, we have picked up speed. Today, we have 110 screens operational with 15 more screens ready and awaiting permission," Miraj chief executive Amit Sharma told ET.The company, Sharma said, also has 35 screens under fitout, which will be ready by Diwali and is in talks for 30-40 more screens. "We have a smaller roadmap for bigger vision. From here, we see reaching 200 screens by Q1 of 2020 and we can comfortably add 50-plus screens per year," he said. Miraj is expecting to close this financial year with a revenue of Rs 165-170 crore from the cinema exhibition business with an Ebitda of Rs 25-28 crore, he said.Started in late 2012, Miraj took almost six years to reach 100 screens, not a small feat to achieve, industry experts say. r worked "Sharma hard and in his this team market have to get to 100 screens. At a time when the four big players are trying to buy whatever good properties are available, and consolidation wave is on, it's commendable that Miraj has stayed on its path of organic growth and have not sold out to make quick money," said Shaaminder Malik, North India-based independent film distributor and trade analyst.
Source: ET

Wind projects exit Gujarat as leasing land gets tougher - economic news of india - world economic news - economics news for students - indian economy news

Posted: 11 Mar 2019 12:05 AM PDT

Wind projects exit Gujarat as leasing land gets tougher
Bengaluru: Gujarat appears to be losing its status as the favourite destination of wind energy developers.Most winners of the latest wind auction by the Solar Energy Corporation of India, nodal agency that offers renewable energy projects, have decided to set up projects outside Gujarat because of land issues that have arisen lately, according to several people aware of the matter.Gujarat was favoured for wind projects because it has many sites, especially in the Kutch area, where wind speeds are very high. However, over several months, the state has gone slow on leasing land to projects auctioned by central agencies.About 2 acres are needed to generate a megawatt of wind energy. Of the 7,000 MW of wind projects auctioned last year, almost 3,500 MW are expected to be commissioned in Gujarat. However, with the state reluctant to lease land, some developers have started buying private land there, an expensive alternative.Also, winners of the 2,000 MW wind auction conducted last month will set up projects outside Gujarat.With the tender allowing projects to be built anywhere in the country, developers are looking at other good wind-producing states.Gujarat government officials had earlier indicated that land should be leased out only to projects auctioned by its distribution company.Winners of the sixth tranche of SECI's auction include Renew Power, SB Energy, Adani Green Energy and Continuum Wind Energy. The lowest tariff bid was .`2.82 per unit."Given all the issues there, we will most certainly not be going to Gujarat," said one of the biggest winners of the auction on condition of anonymity."Winners commissioning projects in Gujarat are those that acquired land long ago," said a person familiar with the development.Even equipment manufacturers that also acquire land and offer it to those buying their towers and turbines are considering other states."We have not offered Gujarat for SECI VI to anybody. We are looking at Karnataka, Maharashtra and a few pockets in Tamil Nadu," said an executive of one of the biggest Indian wind equipment manufacturers.Other auction winners did not respond to queries or said they are yet to decide on their project location.
Source: ET

Sebi plan to build KYC database of beneficial owners irks FPIs - economic news of india - world economic news - economics news for students - indian economy news

Posted: 11 Mar 2019 12:05 AM PDT

Sebi plan to build KYC database of beneficial owners irks FPIs
MUMBAI: Large overseas fund managers such as Templeton, Fidelity and BlackRock have opposed the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) proposal to create a central database containing the personal information of all beneficial owners of offshore funds, said two people with direct knowledge of the matter. Such a database held by an external agency in India would violate the law in their home countries, they argue.The issue pertains to disclosure of know-your-customer (KYC) information of beneficial owners (BOs). Sebi had issued a circular on April 10 last year asking foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) to identify the BO of a fund based on not just ownership but control as well. In cases where there is no significant BO based on economic ownership, fund managers and other senior management officials of the funds were to be considered BOs. All publicly pooled funds such as foreign mutual funds have no significant BO since they raise money from thousands of small unit holders. In such cases, the chief investment officers or other senior management officials become the BOs. 68350934 Stiff opposition from FPIs, especially non-resident Indians (NRIs), on this issue forced Sebi to water down the rule. The regulator restricted the new interpretation of beneficial ownership to KYC purposes. Under this, FPIs will have to submit KYC documents of beneficial owners to custodian banks, which in turn will share them with registrars. 68240455 65857278 68273898
Source: ET

Bullish sentiment, Re’s gain take Nifty’s 2019 returns to +ve zone - economic news of india - world economic news - economics news for students - indian economy news

Posted: 11 Mar 2019 12:05 AM PDT

Bullish sentiment, Re's gain take Nifty's 2019 returns to +ve zone
Indian markets have turned positive for the first time since the beginning of 2019. After a 250-point rally last week, supported by a 1 per cent jump in the rupee against the US dollar, the Nifty has returned 1 per cent since January 1 compared to a negative 2 per cent a week ago. In rupee terms, the index is up 1.1 per cent for the year till date.The performance is mainly driven by the FIIs and index heavyweights like ITC, Axis Bank and RIL – up 7 per cent, 4.5 per cent and 4 per cent, respectively, in the last one week in dollar terms. In terms of year-to-date performance, these stocks are up 2.3 per cent, 16 per cent and 12 per cent, respectively. The biggest drags on the index in 2019 so far have been L&T, Maruti Suzuki and HUL – down 8.1 per cent, 7.7 per cent and 6.6 per cent, respectively, in dollar terms. 68351449 With the smart gains last week, India and the US are the only markets, among the 20 most followed global markets, that have given positive returns over the past one year. The Nifty has gained 0.1 per cent in the past one year and the Dow Jones Industrial Index (US market) has gained 2.3 per cent. This is despite the rupee falling almost 8 per cent against the greenback during the same period. In rupee terms, the Nifty is up 8 per cent. Also, India is the best performing market since early October, after rupee made a smart comeback against the US dollar. This will leave foreign investors, who own 45 per cent of Nifty's free float, with very little to complain. 68350992 68350848
Source: ET

Nasscom, MeitY in talks to open up FutureSkills doors - economic news of india - world economic news - economics news for students - indian economy news

Posted: 11 Mar 2019 12:05 AM PDT

Nasscom, MeitY in talks to open up FutureSkills doors
BENGALURU: The National Association of Software and Services Companies (Nasscom) is in talks with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) to fund part of the skilling service platform it plans to open up for general use, a member of the lobby's executive council told ET.Last year, Nasscom had launched the FutureSkills platform that would allow member companies to get their employees trained in new skills. The platform, which offers training in internet of things (IoT), robotic process automation (RPA), virtual reality, big data analytics, cloud computing and 3D printing, among others, went live with courses has participants from Nasscom member companies. "The next step of the platform is a Government of India-MeitY project that is there, to move it into B-to-C mode. The government will fund a substantial part of it to do the B-to-C model. It is in the final stages of discussion and we also need to scale the platform to that level," BVR Mohan Reddy, executive vice-chairman at engineering research and design company Cyient, told ET in an interview.Reddy, who is a member of Nasscom's executive council, declined to specify what proportion of the cost the government might be willing to bear.He said that FutureSkills currently has over 100,000 users, and that over a period of time, the platform could train about 200 million people. Reddy said he is also working on a digital skilling roadmap with Niti Aayog to determine how to bring digital skills into the educational system.68350970 ET had reported that Nasscom has planned take the platform to colleges and allow students to skill themselves online."If one completes a course on emerging technology for example in machine learning or cloud computing, that person gets the course fee partly refunded. But we are still waiting for approvals. While the duration of the course could be as short as two months, the course fee cannot be exorbitant," a Nasscom executive said. Skilling is an area where both the government and Nasscom have a significant interest. The government's Skill India mission aims to train 400 million people by 2022, but only about 25 million people have been skilled under various government programmes.ET had reported that it is considering issuing skill vouchers, or skill wallets, to incentivise young people to be skilled in a programme of their choosing. The recently created 'National Policy on Software Products' also talked about creating a sustainable talent pipeline through skilling and training programmers.For Nasscom, skilling is crucial as it is part of their strategy to enable IT companies to capitalise on the demand for new services. IT companies are spending hundreds of millions of dollars to retrain and skill their employees.
Source: ET

MSME sector added up to 14.9 million jobs per annum in last four years, claims CII survey - economic news of india - world economic news - economics news for students - indian economy news

Posted: 11 Mar 2019 12:05 AM PDT

MSME sector added up to 14.9 million jobs per annum in last four years, claims CII survey
Amid all gloom over not enough jobs being created in the country, the Confederation of Indian Industry survey of over one lakh small and medium enterprises have shown 13.9% increase in net jobs created in the MSME sector in last four years or 3.3% per annum."Given that the total workforce size according to the labour bureau is estimated at 450 million (projected for 2017-18), the overall job additions work out to 13.5 – 14.9 million per annum," CII said in the survey which it claims to be the largest ever in recent times covering 105,347 MSME firms.According to the survey, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Telangana have been the largest job generators over the past four years while in the case of case of exporters, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Telangana have emerged as the top three states.As per the survey, last four years have seen sectors like hospitality and tourism, textiles and apparel and metal products generating more jobs while machinery parts and transport & logistics were the next significant job creators."The survey also indicates optimism on higher growth expectations on employment for the next three years, which emanates from the fact that the government initiatives like the 2% interest rate subvention given to all MSMEs and trade receivables e-discounting system (TReDS) implemented recently would drive future growth leading to more employment," it said.CII has said in the survey that the users of government schemes expect tangible growth benefits to accrue, particularly in the medium term (three years), in a way that users expect to grow faster relative to overall growth especially the interest subvention facility which it said is expected to be the biggest growth booster.The survey, however, points out the need for greater hand-holding of those MSMEs who are currently not using these initiatives to help them gain from these initiatives."The survey has indeed thrown up the most promising outcomes. There is a very healthy growth in employment among the MSME segment of industry and with the kind of disruptions and innovations that are likely to sweep through industry in terms of new technologies and practices, our skills development front is also undergoing rapid changes," Rakesh Bharti Mittal, president, CII said.The survey covered 105,347 MSMEs located in about 350 industrial centres spread across 28 states of India. The survey focussed on jobs generated in the sector and government initiatives for MSMEs.
Source: ET

This Lok Sabha polls, candidates will have to advertise their criminal records

Posted: 11 Mar 2019 12:04 AM PDT

This Lok Sabha polls, candidates will have to advertise their criminal records


Source: TIE

Bihar LRC recruitment: Apply for 6875 posts, salary up to Rs 59,000

Posted: 11 Mar 2019 12:04 AM PDT

Bihar LRC recruitment: Apply for 6875 posts, salary up to Rs 59,000


Source: TIE

Huawei Watch GT Active, Elegant to launch alongside the P30 series on March 26

Posted: 11 Mar 2019 12:04 AM PDT

Huawei Watch GT Active, Elegant to launch alongside the P30 series on March 26


Source: TIE

Model Code of Conduct come into force: Nirmala Sitharaman shuns special aircraft

Posted: 11 Mar 2019 12:04 AM PDT

Model Code of Conduct come into force: Nirmala Sitharaman shuns special aircraft


Source: TIE

India vs Australia: Shikhar Dhawan admits that team read conditions wrong in successive games

Posted: 11 Mar 2019 12:04 AM PDT

India vs Australia: Shikhar Dhawan admits that team read conditions wrong in successive games


Source: TIE

US woman stuck in Saudi Arabia granted legal residency

Posted: 11 Mar 2019 12:04 AM PDT

US woman stuck in Saudi Arabia granted legal residency


Source: TIE

PUBG Mobile India Series 2019: Team Soul wins the tournament with Rs 30 lakh prize money

Posted: 11 Mar 2019 12:04 AM PDT

PUBG Mobile India Series 2019: Team Soul wins the tournament with Rs 30 lakh prize money


Source: TIE

Iran’s Hassan Rouhani begins official visit to Iraq, hopes for better trade ties

Posted: 11 Mar 2019 12:04 AM PDT

Iran's Hassan Rouhani begins official visit to Iraq, hopes for better trade ties


Source: TIE

Watch: Manchester United’s Chris Smalling shoved by fan during Arsenal game

Posted: 11 Mar 2019 12:04 AM PDT

Watch: Manchester United's Chris Smalling shoved by fan during Arsenal game


Source: TIE

Ethiopian Airlines grounds its Boeing 737 MAX 8 fleet

Posted: 11 Mar 2019 12:04 AM PDT

Ethiopian Airlines grounds its Boeing 737 MAX 8 fleet


Source: TIE

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