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- World leaders, allies express alarm following US killing of Soleimani - The Times of Israel
- Viral Facebook Post: Christmas gift helps daughter reunite with mom after Pensacola Beach - WEAR
- Security officials doubt Iran will strike Israel following Soleimani killing - The Times of Israel
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- Democrats call US killing of Soleimani 'reckless,' say Congress wasn't notified - The Times of Israel
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World leaders, allies express alarm following US killing of Soleimani - The Times of Israel Posted: 03 Jan 2020 10:33 PM PST The world reacted with alarm on Friday after top Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani was killed in a US strike in Baghdad, with many governments appealing for restraint. The attack was praised by US President Donald Trump's Republicans and close ally Israel, but elsewhere there were sharp warnings it could inflame regional tensions. UK officials were reportedly irked that they were not warned by the US ahead of the airstrike. Prime Minister Boris Johnson was reportedly not forewarned, even though there are hundreds of British soldiers stationed in the region. British officials were caught "by surprise" and angered by the airstrike, The Telegraph reported. There are some 500 UK soldiers stationed 40 miles from where the airstrike happened in the area of Taji. Another US airstrike near Taji overnight Friday-Saturday targeted an Iran-backed militia group. British Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn called the move a "US assassination" and an "extremely serious and dangerous escalation."
Corbyn called for the UK to "stand up to the belligerent actions and rhetoric coming from the United States." He requested an urgent meeting of the government's privy council to discuss the attack's ramifications and asked what the UK was doing to protect its citizens. British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said London had "always recognized the aggressive threat" posed by Soleimani and his Quds Force. "Following his death, we urge all parties to de-escalate. Further conflict is in none of our interests." Other world leaders expressed alarm at the killing of Soleimani. Russia characterized the killings as "fraught with serious consequences." Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said there were no legal grounds for the strike and suggested that Trump ordered it with one eye on his re-election campaign. "This action can seriously aggravate the situation in the region," Russian President Vladimir Putin said, according to a Kremlin readout of a phone conversation with French counterpart Emmanuel Macron. ![]() Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps' Quds Force commander Gen. Qassem Soleimani, center, attends a meeting with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Revolutionary Guard commanders in Tehran, Iran, September 18, 2016. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP) UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres warned of the need to avoid war in the Gulf. "This is a moment in which leaders must exercise maximum restraint. The world cannot afford another war in the Gulf," a spokesman for Guterres said in a statement. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas echoed the UN chief saying, "A further escalation that sets the whole region on fire needs to be prevented." Maas also noted that the assault "followed a series of dangerous Iranian provocations." German government spokeswoman Ulrike Demmer described the strike as "a reaction to a whole series of military provocations." She pointed to attacks on tankers and a Saudi oil facility, among other events. "China has always opposed the use of force in international relations," foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said. "We urge the relevant sides, especially the United States, to remain calm and exercise restraint to avoid further escalating tensions." He said Iraq's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity must be respected. Iraq's caretaker prime minister Adel Abdel Mahdi said the US strike, which also killed an Iraqi commander, would "spark a devastating war." "The assassination of an Iraqi military commander in an official post is an aggression against the country of Iraq, its state, its government and its people," he said. It was a "flagrant violation of the conditions authorizing the presence of US troops" on Iraqi soil, he added. ![]() Iraq's Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi speaks during a funeral ceremony in Baghdad, on October 23, 2019. (AHMAD AL-RUBAYE/AFP) "The current cycle of violence in Iraq must be stopped before it spirals out of control," EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell said in a statement. "The EU calls on all the actors involved and on those partners who can have an influence to exercise maximum restraint and show responsibility in this crucial moment." Italy also warned that increased tensions "risk being fertile terrain for terrorism and violent extremism." But right-wing Italian opposition leader Matteo Salvini praised Trump for eliminating "one of the most dangerous and pitiless men in the world, an Islamic terrorist, an enemy of the West, of Israel, of rights and of freedoms." The Syrian regime condemned the killing and heaped praise on the Iranian general. The Syrian people "will not forget that he stuck by the side of the Syrian Arab army," Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said in a letter of condolences sent to Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. "Meting out the appropriate punishment to these criminal assassins… will be the responsibility and task of all resistance fighters worldwide," the leader of Lebanon's Hezbollah Shiite terrorist group, Hassan Nasrallah, said in a statement. "We will carry a flag on all battlefields and all fronts and we will step up the victories of the axis of resistance with the blessing of his pure blood." ![]() Hezbollah supporters watch a televised speech by the Lebanese terror group's leader Hassan Nasrallah, in the town of Al-Ain in Lebanon's Bekaa valley, on August 25, 2019. (AFP) Iran's regional rival Saudi Arabia cautioned against "anything that could aggravate the situation" while the foreign ministers of Bahrain and Qatar also called for "restraint." In the United Arab Emirates, which sits across the Gulf from Iran, the minister of state for foreign affairs, Anwar Gargash, called in a tweet for rational engagement and a "calm approach, free of emotion." The Jordanian foreign ministry also called for efforts to be made to avoid an escalation. "Pakistan has viewed with deep concern the recent developments in the Middle East, which seriously threaten peace and stability in the region," the foreign ministry said. "Respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity are the fundamental principles of the UN Charter, which should be adhered to. It is also important to avoid unilateral actions and use of force." The foreign ministry in neighboring India said: "We have noted that a senior Iranian leader has been killed by the US. The increase in tension has alarmed the world." Turkey's foreign ministry said: "It is manifest that the operation carried out by the US will increase insecurity and instability in the region… Turkey has always been against any foreign intervention in the region, assassinations and sectarian conflicts." Former Afghan President Hamed Karzai said the airstrike violated international laws and risked regional peace and stability. He offered condolences to the Iranian government, as did Afghan Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah. Canadian Foreign Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said Soleimani's "aggressive actions" had "a destabilizing effect in the region and beyond." French President Emmanuel Macron urged restraint. In his telephone call with Putin, Macron said there should be no "new dangerous escalation of tensions" and "called on all the parties to act with restraint." Top stories - Google News January 03, 2020 at 05:50PM https://ift.tt/2uhW3Q9 World leaders, allies express alarm following US killing of Soleimani - The Times of Israel Top stories - Google News https://ift.tt/2FLTecc Shoes Man Tutorial Pos News Update Meme Update Korean Entertainment News Japan News Update |
Viral Facebook Post: Christmas gift helps daughter reunite with mom after Pensacola Beach - WEAR Posted: 03 Jan 2020 10:06 PM PST [unable to retrieve full-text content] Viral Facebook Post: Christmas gift helps daughter reunite with mom after Pensacola Beach WEAR"viral" - Google News January 03, 2020 at 06:04PM https://ift.tt/2MVtJcH Viral Facebook Post: Christmas gift helps daughter reunite with mom after Pensacola Beach - WEAR "viral" - Google News https://ift.tt/2BCxygM Shoes Man Tutorial Pos News Update Meme Update Korean Entertainment News Japan News Update |
Security officials doubt Iran will strike Israel following Soleimani killing - The Times of Israel Posted: 03 Jan 2020 10:03 PM PST Israel believes the chances are low that Iran will respond to the US killing of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani by attacking the Jewish state, according to Friday TV reports. Amos Yadlin, a former chief of Israeli military intelligence, said that an Iranian reprisal would probably target American assets. "If I am one of the Iranians who needs to decide how to respond, Israel is not the first [target]," Yadlin, who now serves as head of Tel Aviv University's Institute for National Security Studies, told Channel 12 news. "Israel has proved it knows how to thwart attacks and respond to attacks," he added. Channel 13 news also reported that Iran was unlikely to attack Israel, citing security officials. ![]() Former Military Intelligence chief Amos Yadlin speaks at an event in Jerusalem on February 22, 2015. (Hadas Parush/Flash90) Yadlin warned, however, that the strike on Soleimani was only the beginning and that US assets in Iraq were particularly vulnerable. "We need to wait for the Iranian response," he said. The ex-general also said the current military intelligence head, Maj. Gen. Tamir Hayman, should advise political leaders "not to run and talk about certain things" publicly, apparently suggesting doing so could heighten the chance of an Iranian reprisal. Soleimani and several top IRCG officials were killed in a US airstrike at Baghdad's international airport shortly after midnight Friday. Iranian leaders have vowed to avenge Soleimani's killing, with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps threatening to take action against the US and the "fake Zionist regime." Earlier, Channel 13 reported that the Defense Ministry had put Israeli embassies and offices on "high alert" worldwide following Iranian threats over the US strike. Security has also been bolstered at Israeli missions deemed to be in locations regarded as "sensitive," according to the network. ![]() Protesters burn representations of Israeli flag during a demonstration over the US airstrike in Iraq that killed Iranian Revolutionary Guard Gen. Qassem Soleimani, in Tehran, Iran, January 3, 2020 (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) The Israel Defense Forces has also raised its alert levels. The Mount Hermon ski site near the Israel-Syria border was closed, but the IDF said it could reopen Saturday. The resort's management said it would remain closed Saturday however to ensure the security of visitors, and because of expected stormy weather. Fighters from the Iran-backed Lebanese Shiite terror group Hezbollah, Israel's bitter foe with which it fought a devastating war in 2006, are deployed on the other side of the border. The heightened state of alert came after Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed "severe revenge" for Soleimani's killing, the biggest escalation yet in a feared proxy war between Iran and the US on Iraqi soil. Defense Minister Naftali Bennett earlier Friday convened a meeting in Tel Aviv of security and intelligence chiefs to deal with the possible repercussions of the Soleimani killing. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu broke off an official visit to Greece and flew home, expressing support for the overnight US strike that killed Soleimani as he arrived in Baghdad. Israeli television reported that Netanyahu was likely briefed ahead of the strike by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, noting he alluded to "very, very dramatic things" happening in the region as he departed Thursday for Athens. Agencies contributed to this report. Top stories - Google News January 03, 2020 at 02:53PM https://ift.tt/2tpfA0H Security officials doubt Iran will strike Israel following Soleimani killing - The Times of Israel Top stories - Google News https://ift.tt/2FLTecc Shoes Man Tutorial Pos News Update Meme Update Korean Entertainment News Japan News Update |
Posted: 03 Jan 2020 09:33 PM PST |
Posted: 03 Jan 2020 09:33 PM PST Leading US Democratic presidential hopefuls criticized US President Donald Trump on Thursday night and Friday over the targeted killing of Iran's top general in an airstrike at Baghdad's international airport, saying it could leave the US "on the brink of a major conflict across the Middle East." The Pentagon said the US military killed Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran's elite Quds Force, in Baghdad Friday at the direction of Trump. The attack is expected to draw severe Iranian retaliation, potentially against both American and Israeli interests. The Defense Department said Soleimani "was actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region." White House candidate Joe Biden said Trump had "tossed a stick of dynamite into a tinderbox" with his order. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders released a statement saying, "Trump's dangerous escalation brings us closer to another disastrous war in the Middle East that could cost countless lives and trillions more dollars." ![]() Qassem Soleimani, commander of the IRGC Quds Force, attends an annual rally commemorating the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, in Tehran, Iran, February 11, 2016. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Democrats acknowledged the threat posed by Soleimani, with Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren calling him "a murderer, responsible for the deaths of thousands, including hundreds of Americans." However, she added, Trump's "reckless move escalates the situation with Iran and increases the likelihood of more deaths and new Middle East conflict." Entrepreneur Andrew Yang tweeted: "War with Iran is the last thing we need and is not the will of the American people. We should be acting to deescalate tensions and protect our people in the region." The attack also drew criticism from Democrats who aren't running for president. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the administration conducted the airstrike without consultation of Congress or an authorization for use of military force against Iran. She said it "risks provoking further dangerous escalation of violence." The strike conducted in Baghdad against Soleimani "went forward with no notification or consultation with Congress," House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Eliot Engel similarly said in a statement. ![]() Democratic US presidential candidates from left, entrepreneur Andrew Yang, South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., former Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and businessman Tom Steyer participate in a Democratic presidential primary debate December 19, 2019, in Los Angeles. (AP/Chris Carlson) Soleimani was "the mastermind of immense violence" who has "the blood of Americans on his hands," the Democratic lawmaker acknowledged. But "to push ahead with an action of this gravity without involving Congress raises serious legal problems and is an affront to Congress's powers as a coequal branch of government." The White House traditionally notifies senior members of both parties in the Senate and House of Representatives ahead of major military action. ![]() In this December 9, 2019, file photo, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, speaks to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File) But top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer "was not given advanced notice" of the strike, a senior Democratic aide told AFP. Republicans on Capitol Hill stood behind Trump, without stating publicly whether officials informed them ahead of the attack. South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham said: "I appreciate President Trump's bold action against Iranian aggression. To the Iranian government: if you want more, you will get more." And Sen. James Inhofe, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said: "America does not and should not seek war, but it will respond in kind to those who threaten our citizens, soldiers and friends — as the President has long promised. De-escalation is preferable and possible — but only if our adversaries choose it." ![]() US President Donald Trump speaks to members of the media following a Christmas Eve video teleconference with members of the military at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, December 24, 2019. (Andrew Harnik/AP) The War Powers Resolution requires the US president to notify Congress within 48 hours of committing armed forces to military action. But several Democrats have warned that Congress's constitutional role in making decisions about war have been eroded in the first three years of the Trump administration. "Even if this strike was in self-defense, no current congressional authorization covered it and the President needs to notify Congress within 48 hours pursuant to the War Powers Resolution," Engel said. Top stories - Google News January 02, 2020 at 11:10PM https://ift.tt/2SO4Rrb Democrats call US killing of Soleimani 'reckless,' say Congress wasn't notified - The Times of Israel Top stories - Google News https://ift.tt/2FLTecc Shoes Man Tutorial Pos News Update Meme Update Korean Entertainment News Japan News Update |
T-Mobile-Sprint Merger Odds Reduced - Market Realist Posted: 03 Jan 2020 09:17 PM PST ![]() In April 2018, T-Mobile (TMUS) and Sprint (S) revealed a $26.5 billion merger deal. However, the merger deal is still pending. The merger agreement faces litigation from about 13 Democratic state attorneys general and the District of Columbia. The court challenge is led by New York and California, and the states filed lawsuits to stop the merger deal on antitrust concerns. Critics remain concerned that customers might be harmed by a T-Mobile and Sprint combination. The states argue that the merger of the third- and fourth-largest wireless carriers in the US would limit consumer choices, leading to higher wireless prices. Plus, they believe the consolidation would hurt retail jobs and creativity in the wireless industry. T-Mobile and Sprint believe that the combination is good for consumers and wireless competition. The two companies argue that Sprint can't survive on a standalone basis and that Sprint can be replaced by Dish Network (DISH) as the fourth-largest wireless carrier in the US. If the merger deal goes through, the proposed new T-Mobile could rapidly deploy a nationwide 5G service and compete more effectively with AT&T (T). In December 2019, the T-Mobile-Sprint merger deal faced an antitrust trial in the district court in Manhattan before Judge Victor Marrero. The final ruling for the case will likely be announced in February. T-Mobile and Sprint merger odds reducedCowen & Co. analyst Paul Gallant believes that the federal judge could stop the T-Mobile and Sprint merger deal. According to a January 2 LightReading report, Gallant wrote, "After watching the witnesses, evidence, and Judge Marrero's questions, we continue to believe the state AGs are likely to prevail. We assign a 60% chance of this happening." Gallant added, "The government first must show the merger is presumptively anticompetitive. The states very likely did this by showing that the wireless market today is already 'highly concentrated' by market share and the merger would make it more so." Gallant continued, "Judge Marrero is a Democrat, and this merger battle is highly partisan." The analyst doesn't expect the two companies to reach a settlement deal with the litigant states. Raymond James analyst Ric Prentiss reduced the odds of the T-Mobile and Sprint merger deal approval from 85% to 55%. According to a January 2 Bloomberg report, "Wall Street is increasingly pessimistic that T-Mobile US Inc. will complete its $26.5 billion takeover of Sprint Corp., with the spread on the deal at the highest point since it was announced in 2018. "The spread between T-Mobile's offer price for Sprint and the trading price, an indication of the deal's risk, has swelled to $2.85 a share on Thursday from a low of 53 cents in May 2018." It's uncertain what the two companies will do on a standalone basis if the merger deal is blocked by the district judge. Sprint CEO Michel Combes stated that Sprint's alternative option—if the T-Mobile merger fails—is to focus on fewer markets. Meanwhile, T-Mobile could look for alternative sources of spectrum required for 5G network deployment. Regulators approve T-Mobile and Sprint merger dealIn 2019, the Department of Justice and the Federal Communications Commission officially supported the merger deal. The antitrust regulators approved the deal after the two carriers agreed to divest some wireless assets to satellite TV provider Dish Network. Dish would acquire Sprint's prepaid businesses and nationwide 800 MHz spectrum licenses for $5 billion. The pay-TV provider could establish its own mobile network to ensure that four major wireless carriers still operate in the US. However, Dish can't replace Sprint, as the pay-TV provider would begin with about 9 million wireless subscribers, according to LightReading's January 2 report. Sprint currently has about 50 million wireless subscribers. Plus, Dish would be able to cover 70% of the US population in the four complete years. Financial performanceWall Street analysts' top- and bottom-line estimates suggest that T-Mobile could post impressive Q4 2019 earnings results. In the fourth quarter, analysts expect the telecom company to post total revenue of $11.8 billion, up 3.4% from $11.4 billion in Q4 2018. The top-line growth will likely be due to robust subscriber gains. Analysts expect the company's sales to rise 3.8% YoY (year-over-year) to $45.0 billion in 2019 and 5.2% YoY to $47.3 billion in 2020. Its sales are likely to rise by 5.4% YoY to $49.9 billion in 2021. In the fourth quarter of 2019, analysts expect T-Mobile's non-core EPS to grow 10.7% YoY to $0.83. T-Mobile has exceeded Wall Street's non-core EPS expectations in the last 15 quarters. Analysts expect T-Mobile's non-core EPS to rise 18.5% YoY to $3.98 in 2019 and 20.1% YoY to $4.78 in 2020. Its earnings are likely to rise further by 16.9% YoY to $5.59 in 2021. Meanwhile, Sprint is the only major wireless carrier in the US that is generating losses. In Q3 of fiscal 2019 (quarter ended December), analysts expect the company to post total revenue of $8.2 billion. This is down 4.6% from $8.6 billion in Q3 of fiscal 2018. The top-line reduction will likely be due to wireless customer losses. Analysts expect Sprint's sales to fall 3.6% YoY to $32.4 billion in fiscal 2019. Its sales are expected to fall 0.6% YoY to $32.2 billion in fiscal 2020. Its sales are likely to fall 0.6% YoY to $32.0 billion in fiscal 2021. In Q3 of fiscal 2019, analysts expect Sprint's adjusted EPS to reach -$0.05. In contrast, its EPS reached -$0.03 in Q3 of fiscal 2018. Wall Street expects the company to report adjusted EPS of -$0.16 in fiscal 2019 and -$0.11 in fiscal 2020. Analysts' recommendations and target priceAnalysts had a more bullish call for T-Mobile stock compared to its competitor Sprint's stock. On Friday, among the 22 analysts tracking TMUS, six recommended a "strong buy." Plus, 11 recommended a "buy," and five recommended a "hold." The stock has not received a "sell" recommendation for more than a year. In comparison, Sprint had "buy" recommendations from two of 17 analysts and a "hold" recommendation from 13 analysts. Two analysts recommended it as a "sell." AT&T is rated as a "buy" by 13 out of 30 Wall Street analysts. Currently, analysts see T-Mobile's average target price at $90.16. This implies a potential upside of 14.7% in the next 12 months. Sprint had a target price of $6.41, with a potential upside of 22.8% over the next 12 months. AT&T's mean target price of $39.02 implies a 0.4% upside from its current level of $38.86. Stock performanceThe stocks of wireless carriers T-Mobile and Sprint returned 23.3% and -10.5%, respectively, in 2019. Both stocks underperformed the broader S&P 500 Index, which rose 28.9% in 2019. T-Mobile stock rose 0.22% to close trading at $78.59 on January 2. TMUS stock traded 7.8% below its 52-week high of $85.22 and 19.9% above its 52-week low of $65.55. Based on T-Mobile's January 2 closing price, TMUS stock traded 2.4% above its 20-day moving average of $76.74. TMUS is trading in line with its 50-day moving average of $78.59. It is trading 0.03% below its 100-day moving average of $78.61. In comparison, Sprint rose 0.19% to close trading at $5.22 on January 2. It was 1.3%, 8.9%, and 15.3% below its 20-day, 50-day, and 100-day moving averages of $5.29, $5.73, and $6.16, respectively. T-Mobile's and Sprint's 14-day RSI scores stood at 58 and 37, respectively, indicating that they are neither overbought nor oversold. Read T-Mobile-Sprint Merger Antitrust Trial Ends Positively and T-Mobile–Sprint Merger Trial: Three Things Dish Chairman Told Court to learn more. You can also read Dish Wireless: Three Takes as 2019 Wraps Up. "Mobile" - Google News January 03, 2020 at 09:28AM https://ift.tt/2sC74eK T-Mobile-Sprint Merger Odds Reduced - Market Realist "Mobile" - Google News https://ift.tt/2P9t7Cg Shoes Man Tutorial Pos News Update Meme Update Korean Entertainment News Japan News Update |
Death toll from Indonesia floods rises to 47 - 7NEWS.com.au Posted: 03 Jan 2020 09:03 PM PST The death toll from floods in Indonesia's capital has risen to 47 as rescuers find more bodies amid receding floodwaters. Monsoon rains and rising rivers submerged a dozen districts in greater Jakarta and caused landslides in the Bogor and Depok districts on the city's outskirts as well as in neighbouring Lebak, which buried a dozen people. The fatalities also included those who had drowned or been electrocuted since rivers broke their banks early on Wednesday after extreme torrential rains throughout New Year's Eve. Three elderly people died of hypothermia. Worst flooding since 2007It was the worst flooding since 2007, when 80 people were killed when Jakarta was inundated by monsoon rains over 10 days. Four days after the region of 30 million people was struck by flash floods, waters have receded in many middle-class districts, but conditions remained grim in narrow riverside alleys where the city's poor live. ![]() At the peak of the flooding, about 397,000 people sought refuge in shelters across the greater metropolitan area as floodwaters reached up to 6 metres in some places, said National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesman Agus Wibowo. Data released by his agency showed some 173,000 people were still unable to return home, mostly in the hardest-hit area of Bekasi. More than 152,000 people remain crammed at 98 emergency shelters with sufficient supplies in Jakarta's satellite city of Bekasi, where rivers burst their banks. ![]() Much of the city was still submerged in muddy waters up to 2 metres high, according to the agency. Those returning to their homes found streets covered in mud and debris. More on 7NEWS.com.au Cars that had been parked in driveways were swept away, landing upside down in parks or piled up in narrow alleys. Footpaths were strewn with sandals, pots and pans and old photographs. ![]() Authorities took advantage of the receding waters to clear away mud and remove piles of wet garbage from the streets. President Joko Widodo announced in August that the capital will move to a site in sparsely populated East Kalimantan province on Borneo island, known for rainforests and orangutans. In the video below: Two dead in Kangaroo Island fire Top stories - Google News January 03, 2020 at 05:52PM https://ift.tt/36omp10 Death toll from Indonesia floods rises to 47 - 7NEWS.com.au Top stories - Google News https://ift.tt/2FLTecc Shoes Man Tutorial Pos News Update Meme Update Korean Entertainment News Japan News Update |
Actress who played Rachel's daughter on 'Friends' hilariously responds to 2020 joke - GMA Posted: 03 Jan 2020 09:01 PM PST "Actress" - Google News January 03, 2020 at 07:37AM https://ift.tt/36oEOKX Actress who played Rachel's daughter on 'Friends' hilariously responds to 2020 joke - GMA "Actress" - Google News https://ift.tt/31HZgDn Shoes Man Tutorial Pos News Update Meme Update Korean Entertainment News Japan News Update |
As flood risks grow, capital city needs to restore and manage ecosystem - The Straits Times Posted: 03 Jan 2020 08:03 PM PST The heavy rainfall pounding Indonesian capital Jakarta and its surrounding areas over the New Year period was "not ordinary" and, when combined with the city's overcrowding and overdevelopment problems, led to one of the worst floodings in years - claiming over 40 lives and leaving hundreds of thousands homeless. The monsoon season and high amount of water vapour in the air were among the reasons for the intense rainfall in Jakarta, which the country's meteorology, climatology and geophysics agency, or BMKG, measured at 377mm on New Year's Eve - the highest daily reading since the agency began publishing data in 1996. During the previous massive flooding in 2007, rainfall intensity had reached 340mm a day. "The extreme rain event is not ordinary. The probability of its occurrence is once in a century. It is very rare," Professor Rizaldi Boer, a climate change expert from Bogor Agricultural University, told The Straits Times. "One possibility is that Indonesia had experienced a prolonged dry season due to the El Nino phenomenon. So, the high temperature has led to greater evaporation in the atmosphere which, in turn, resulted in the high amount of water vapour and the intense rain now," he added. While climate change has disrupted weather patterns, Jakarta's rapid urbanisation, uncontrolled population growth, excessive extraction of groundwater for drinking and household purposes, as well as poor sanitation and drainage systems, may have contributed to the catastrophic flood, climate change and urban planning experts told ST. The recent flooding may lend some credence to President Joko Widodo's proposal last August to move the administrative capital to the sparsely populated East Kalimantan province on Borneo Island in order to relieve overcrowding in the megacity of 10 million, which is purportedly sinking at a rate of 1cm to 15cm a year. "It is time to move because the huge population can't all fit in Jakarta," said public policy analyst Agus Pambagio from the University of Indonesia. "We must find a new centre of economics. Shifting the capital may not be the easiest thing to do, but it is the best alternative." But some analysts say this is not a be-all-and-end-all solution, but rather points to the need for more optimal land-use planning of open spaces and a better drainage system. "Only civil servants will move to the new capital, but all the businesses will stay in Jakarta. How does this reduce any burden?" said Mr Nirwono Joga, an urban planning expert from Trisakti University. Instead, he suggested clearing squatter settlements and residential areas encroaching the riverbanks, and increasing dredging to clear the canals and waterways of trash and debris. "Jakarta has 13 rivers flowing through it which provide a natural channel for rainwater to flow into the sea. We need to manage them properly," he said. He added that more green space on riverbanks will allow for better absorption of water. Agreeing, Prof Rizaldi said: "Big floods are becoming common. What we need is action to restore the ecosystem and for everyone, not only the government, to work together to control floods." Top stories - Google News January 03, 2020 at 01:00PM https://ift.tt/37yV38r As flood risks grow, capital city needs to restore and manage ecosystem - The Straits Times Top stories - Google News https://ift.tt/2FLTecc Shoes Man Tutorial Pos News Update Meme Update Korean Entertainment News Japan News Update |
Goal setting for the new year and beyond - - KUSI Posted: 03 Jan 2020 07:36 PM PST ![]() SAN DIEGO (KUSI) – With the start of the new year comes the start of new goals and better habits, but sometimes that's easier said than done. Paul "The Ultimate" Vaden, a former boxing champ who is now a motivational speaker was in studio to talk about goal setting for the new year or for life in general. Here are four key points for Dream/Goal building: 1. Create with clarity specific goal(s) For more info, visit https://answerthebell.com/ "Goal" - Google News January 03, 2020 at 06:48PM https://ift.tt/2Qko6XD Goal setting for the new year and beyond - - KUSI "Goal" - Google News https://ift.tt/35TEe8t Shoes Man Tutorial Pos News Update Meme Update Korean Entertainment News Japan News Update |
草なぎ剛が感じたエンターテインメントの“自由”「新人の頃のように毎日がわくわくの連続」 - アエラドット 朝日新聞出版 Posted: 03 Jan 2020 07:11 PM PST 当Webサイトの改善のための分析や広告配信・コンテンツ配信等のために、CookieやJavascript等を使用してアクセスデータを取得・利用しています。これ以降ページを遷移した場合、Cookie等の設定・使用に同意したことになります。 Cookie等の設定・使用の詳細やオプトアウトについては、朝日新聞出版公式サイトの「アクセス情報について」をご覧ください。 "エンターテインメント" - Google ニュース January 03, 2020 at 06:30PM https://ift.tt/2SRdGR9 草なぎ剛が感じたエンターテインメントの"自由"「新人の頃のように毎日がわくわくの連続」 - アエラドット 朝日新聞出版 "エンターテインメント" - Google ニュース https://ift.tt/2W81riD Shoes Man Tutorial Pos News Update Meme Update Korean Entertainment News Japan News Update |
Yen, gold and Treasury bonds jump after Trump's airstrike on Iran's top military official - CNBC Posted: 03 Jan 2020 07:03 PM PST ![]() Safe haven assets are on the rise following a U.S. airstrike that has killed one of Iran's most powerful military leaders. Spot price for gold is testing six-month highs at around $1,546 per ounce, a rise of more than 1% on the session. Silver is higher by almost 1 percent while platinum and palladium have also jumped in value. The U.S. 10-Year Treasury note also shifted suddenly, falling to its lowest yield in almost three weeks at 1.83%. Unsurprisingly, oil has leapt in value as concern rises over potential supply disruption. A sudden rush to safer assets came after President Donald Trump ordered a strike on Iran's General Qasem Soleimani, head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard's elite Quds Force. The Pentagon has confirmed that Soleimani was killed early on Friday by a U.S. airstrike on his convoy at Baghdad airport. The general's death marks an escalation in tensions between Tehran and Washington and raises uncertainty over Middle East stability. Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has vowed "severe retaliation." Japan's yen, another asset that traders seek in terms of uncertainty, has risen half a percent against the dollar on Friday morning, while the Swiss franc surged to a four-month high versus the U.S.currency. As capital poured into haven assets, riskier investments into stocks were trimmed. The pan-European Stoxx 600 slid almost 0.8% by mid-morning in London. Most sectors traded lower except oil and gas, which surged on the back of the U.S. airstrike. In London, the FTSE 100 slipped around four tenths of one percent, the index somewhat cushioned by rises to major energy stocks such as BP and Royal Dutch Shell. Other losses were seen in emerging market currencies, such as the South African rand and Indian rupee. Top stories - Google News January 03, 2020 at 03:43AM https://ift.tt/2QlWt0t Yen, gold and Treasury bonds jump after Trump's airstrike on Iran's top military official - CNBC Top stories - Google News https://ift.tt/2FLTecc Shoes Man Tutorial Pos News Update Meme Update Korean Entertainment News Japan News Update |
Trump: US should have assassinated Soleimani a long time ago - The Jerusalem Post Posted: 03 Jan 2020 07:03 PM PST US President Donald Trump spoke about the assassination of IRGC Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani in a speech to the American people given on Friday evening, calling Soleimani the "number one terrorist anywhere in the world." "We took action last night to stop a war," Trump said. "We did not take action to start a war." Saying that Soleimani had spent the last 20 years attempting to destabilize the Middle East, the president said that "what the US did yesterday should have been done a long time ago. A lot of lives would have been saved." "Under my leadership, America's policy is unambiguous: To terrorists who harm or intend to harm any American, we will find you; we will eliminate you," the president continued. We will always protect our diplomats, service members, all Americans, and our allies." The president went on to say that Soleimani made the death of innocent people "his sick passion," and added that he was contributing to terrorist plots as far away as New Delhi and London. "Today we remember and honor the victims of Soleimani's many atrocities, and we take comfort in knowing that his reign of terror is over," Trump said. He thanked the US military and intelligence, saying they are "the best … by far, anywhere in the world." He said he has deep respect for the Iranian people and called them "a remarkable people." Trump also said that the US does not seek a regime change in Iran. "Soleimani was plotting imminent and sinister attacks on American diplomats and military personnel but we caught him in the act and terminated him," Trump told reporters at his Mar-a-Lago resort. "If Americans anywhere are threatened," he warned. "I am ready and prepared to take whatever action is necessary." White House national security adviser Robert O'Brien said on Friday that "Iran has two choices here." "One is further escalation. That path will lead to nowhere for the Iranian people or for the regime," he said. "The United States will not be intimidated by threats from our adversaries," O'Brien added in a conference call with reporters. "We've made it very clear that should Iran retaliate or escalate [...] that would be a very poor decision in my view for the Iranian regime." "The alternate path is to sit down with the United States, for Iran to give up it's nuclear program; for Iran to stop its proxy wars in the middle East [...] and to behave like a normal nation. In that case, as the president said, Iran has a fabulous future," he said. Top stories - Google News January 03, 2020 at 02:07PM https://ift.tt/2sz5zOp Trump: US should have assassinated Soleimani a long time ago - The Jerusalem Post Top stories - Google News https://ift.tt/2FLTecc Shoes Man Tutorial Pos News Update Meme Update Korean Entertainment News Japan News Update |
Posted: 03 Jan 2020 07:01 PM PST ![]() 'Please do not kill us': Actress Rose McGowan apologizes to Iran on Twitter after US airstrikeIn the hours after a U.S. airstrike in Iraq killed Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani and heightened diplomatic tensions worldwide, actress Rose McGowan apologized to Iran for her home country's behavior in a series of charged tweets. "Dear #Iran," McGowan wrote in her first post. "The USA has disrespected your country, your flag, your people." She said that "52% of us humbly apologize," though it was unclear what that percentage was in reference to. "We want peace with your nation," McGowan continued. "We are being held hostage by a terrorist regime. We do not know how to escape. Please do not kill us." McGowan, who has been vocal against alleged sexual predator Harvey Weinstein, often weighs into the political and pop culture talking points of the day. On Friday, she took on foreign relations - and drew sharp rebukes from both critics and supporters of the president. "Thanks a lot," McGowan wrote in a different tweet directed at President Donald Trump in which she called the president a vulgar name. In the wake of Soleimani's death, Iran's defense minister Amir Hatami said the country would answer the U.S. airstrike ordered by Trump with a "crushing" response. Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said in a statement that "severe revenge awaits those criminals who have tainted their filthy hands with his blood." Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the airstrike was carried out against Soleimani, leader of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' elite Quds Force, because he was plotting attacks against Americans in the region. Soleimani has been linked to the deaths of hundreds of U.S. troops in Iraq, according to Washington Post reporting. Responding to criticism about her remarks, McGowan acknowledged that Soleimani was an "evil man who did evil evil things." She said in a tweet that she wrote her initial apology because the U.S. "is morally corrupt and acts illegally." "It is only logical to appeal to Iran's pride by apologizing," McGowan said. "I'm taking one for the team." She used the hashtag #TeamStayAlive in several more tweets that touched on Republicans, Democrats and her voting habits. In her final tweet on the topic, she couched her earlier comments by saying that she "freaked out because we may have (an) impending war." "Sometimes it's okay to freak out on those in power," McGowan wrote. "It's our right. That is what so many Brave soldiers have fought for. That is democracy. I do not want any more American soldiers killed. That's it." previous coverage"Actress" - Google News January 03, 2020 at 11:43AM https://ift.tt/2Ql84Na 'Please do not kill us': Actress Rose McGowan apologizes to Iran on Twitter after US airstrike - Stars and Stripes "Actress" - Google News https://ift.tt/31HZgDn Shoes Man Tutorial Pos News Update Meme Update Korean Entertainment News Japan News Update |
Tesla Faces Fresh Challenges After Hitting 2019 Delivery Goal - Wall Street Journal Posted: 03 Jan 2020 06:36 PM PST Tesla Inc. made good on Chief Executive Elon Musk's promise of boosting production and delivering at least 360,000 electric vehicles in 2019, sending shares to new heights and increasing expectations for this year. But the road ahead for the Silicon Valley auto maker comes with a familiar challenge: execution. It also takes Tesla down a path in which its fortunes rest, to an unprecedented degree, on how it performs overseas—particularly in China, the electric vehicle maker's top foreign market. The company has begun making local deliveries of China-made Model 3 compact cars after constructing a factory there in a blazing fast year. And it is gearing up to start production of a new Model Y compact sport-utility vehicle later this year. "2020 represents a pivotal year for Musk & Co., as ultimately this will be the year the bulls have been waiting for with China coming on board and Musk's grand [electric-vehicle] vision starts to potentially take hold," Dan Ives, an analyst for Wedbush Securities, said Friday in a note to investors. "China remains the major swing factor." Shares posted a nearly 5.5% gain during trading Friday after Tesla said it delivered 112,000 electric vehicles in the final three months of the year. That was up 23% from a year earlier and exceeded Wall Street expectations for 106,000 deliveries. Tesla's valuation rose to more than $80 billion—putting it within reach of Volkswagen AG , the world's second-largest auto maker by market value—before ending the day slightly shy of that figure. The company's stock has been on a tear since closing at last year's low of $178.97 in June, when investors worried about the company's ability to pull off Mr. Musk's ambitious plans. Mr. Musk had promised deliveries of between 360,000 and 400,000 last year, a record milestone that looked hard to meet after a disappointing start to the year. Sales were hurt in the first quarter amid a phaseout of U.S. tax credits for buyers, which effectively increased the cost of Tesla's cars, and challenges associated with taking the Model 3 overseas for the first time. The slow start raised concerns about whether demand for Tesla's vehicles in the U.S. had peaked. Tesla needed to deliver at least 104,800 vehicles in the final quarter, or slightly more vehicles than the company delivered in all of 2017. It beat that goal handsomely. Deliveries of the mass-model Model 3 continued upward momentum from the third to the fourth quarter, rising 16% to 92,500 in the final three months. That was a 47% increase from the final quarter of 2018. In total, Tesla delivered 367,500 cars and sport-utility vehicles last year. Tesla's strong finish was aided by customers looking to take advantage of the U.S. tax credit before it went to zero on Jan. 1, said Garrett Nelson, an analyst for CFRA Research. "We think questions remain about first-half results," he wrote in a note to investors. Mr. Musk's history of missed forecasts had some doubting he'd be able to achieve his goals for 2019, which represented a step down from loftier ambitions pronounced earlier. He had once promised to make 500,000 in 2018, with Tesla reaching the one million vehicles level in 2020. Attention turns next to how the record fourth-quarter deliveries affect the company's bottom line. Tesla won't disclose for several weeks how much money it made on the cars it delivered in the fourth quarter. Analysts surveyed by FactSet, on average, expect a profit for the most recent quarter, though they expect Tesla's results will show it remained in the red for all of 2019. The company has yet to turn an annual profit. It has fueled its expansion through stock and debt offerings. Analysts surveyed by FactSet project this to be the first year Tesla is profitable. On Friday, Tesla didn't break out deliveries by region or country. It will later reveal revenue by its top markets, including the U.S., its No. 1, and No. 2 of China. Revenue in the U.S. had declined in the third quarter compared with a year ago, demonstrating the growing importance of markets such as China. Tesla on Friday said it made almost 1,000 salable vehicles at its new factory in Shanghai, which began trial production runs in October. The company said local battery-pack production for its electric cars began in late December. Related VideoThe auto maker said separately that it was lowering the starting price of its China-made Model 3 to 323,800 yuan ($46,445) from 355,800 yuan. After local subsidies, customers can get the car for 299,050 yuan. The first 15 China-made cars were handed over to employee customers this week. Tesla broke ground on the Shanghai factory, where it aims to make 3,000 cars a week, almost a year ago. Tesla's change of fortune has been especially painful for investors who have bet against the auto maker by short selling its stock. Those bears still see big challenges ahead for the company. They point to a slowing car market in China, the likelihood that the elimination of U.S. tax credits for Tesla buyers will dent demand, and Mr. Musk's record of falling short on his past promises. Tesla had a strong finish to 2018, too, only to have a first half in 2019 that rattled investors. Tesla needs to begin generating consistent free cash flow and pay down debt, said David Whiston, an analyst for Morningstar Research Services. "If they do that for a few straight quarters, the stock could go far higher than it is now," he said. But he added that Tesla's rise also adds risk to the share price: "The downside to a stock rocketing upward is the slightest bit of bad news could cause an abrupt fall, but no one ever cares about that risk until it actually happens." Write to Tim Higgins at Tim.Higgins@WSJ.com Copyright ©2019 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8 "Goal" - Google News January 03, 2020 at 04:28PM https://ift.tt/2MPwa0A Tesla Faces Fresh Challenges After Hitting 2019 Delivery Goal - Wall Street Journal "Goal" - Google News https://ift.tt/35TEe8t Shoes Man Tutorial Pos News Update Meme Update Korean Entertainment News Japan News Update |
Trump declares Iranian general's 'reign of terror' over - The Times of Israel Posted: 03 Jan 2020 06:33 PM PST WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump declared Friday that a "reign of terror is over" as he marked the death of an Iranian general killed in a US strike and as the Pentagon scrambled to reinforce the American military presence in the Middle East in preparation for reprisals. General Qassem Soleimani "made the death of innocent people his sick passion," Trump said from his estate in Palm Beach, Florida, adding "a lot of lives would have been saved" if he'd been hunted down years ago. "Soleimani was plotting imminent and sinister attacks on American diplomats and military personnel, but we caught him in the act and terminated him," Trump said in a statement before television cameras in Florida. While referring to the Iranian military mastermind, killed in a US air attack earlier Friday in Baghdad, as "sick," Trump attempted to lower tensions by insisting that he does not want war with Iran. "We took action last night to stop a war. We did not take action to start a war," he said, adding: "We do not seek regime change." The United States is sending nearly 3,000 more troops to the Mideast in the volatile aftermath of the killing ordered by Trump, defense officials said. Also Friday, the Pentagon placed an Army brigade in Italy on alert to fly into Lebanon if needed to protect the American embassy there, part of a series of military moves to protect US interests in the Middle East. Speaking on condition of anonymity, an official said the US could send 130 to more than 700 troops to Beirut from Italy. The official was not authorized to be identified. Reinforcements were ordered as US officials said they had compelling intelligence that Soleimani, the commander of Iran's Quds Force who was killed in the US strike, was planning a significant campaign of violence against the United States. Officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a decision not yet announced by the Pentagon, said the new contingent of troops is from the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. They are in addition to about 700 soldiers from the 82nd Airborne who deployed to Kuwait earlier this week after the storming of the US embassy compound in Baghdad by Iran-backed militiamen and their supporters. Trump said of Soleimani: "We take comfort in knowing that his reign of terror is over." ![]() Iran's Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani (left) with Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei (Wikipedia) But the dispatching of extra troops reflects concern about potential Iranian retaliatory action for the killing. It also runs counter to Trump's repeated push to extract the United States from Mideast conflicts. Prior to this week's troop deployments, the administration had sent 14,000 additional troops to the Mideast since May, when it first publicly claimed Iran was planning attacks on US interests. The reinforcements took shape as Trump gave his first comments on the strike, declaring that he ordered the killing of Soleimani because he had killed and wounded many Americans over the years and was plotting to kill many more. "He should have been taken out many years ago," he added. The strike marked a major escalation in the conflict between Washington and Iran, as Iran vowed "harsh retaliation" for the killing of the senior military leader. The two nations have faced repeated crises since Trump withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal and imposed crippling sanctions. The United States urged its citizens to leave Iraq "immediately" as fears mounted that the strike and any retaliation by Iran could ignite a conflict that engulfs the region. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo defended the strike as "wholly lawful," saying that Soleimani posed an "imminent" threat against the US and its interests in the region. "There was an imminent attack," Pompeo told Fox News. "The orchestrator, the primary motivator for the attack, was Qassem Soleimani." The White House did not inform lawmakers before the strike. It was expected to give classified briefings to members of Congress and staff in the afternoon. US Defense Secretary Mark Esper notified House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of the strike shortly before the Pentagon confirmed it publicly. Pompeo called world leaders Friday to explain and defend Trump's decision to order the airstrike that has sparked fears of an explosion of anti-American protests as well as more violence in the already unstable Middle East. The State Department said Pompeo had spoken Friday with top officials in Afghanistan, Britain, China, France, Germany and Pakistan. ![]() Protesters burn property in front of the US embassy compound, in Baghdad, Iraq, Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019. D (AP Photo/Khalid Mohammed) In his calls with the British and German foreign ministers as well as China's state councilor, Pompeo stressed that Trump acted to counter an imminent threat to US lives in the region but also that the US is committed to "de-escalation" of tensions, according to the department's summaries of the conversations. De-escalation was not mentioned in the department's summary of his call with the French foreign minister, nor in his calls with Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani or the Pakistani military chief of staff. In those calls Pompeo "underscored the Iranian regime's destabilizing actions through the region and the Trump Administration's resolve in protecting American interests, personnel, facilities and partners," the department said. Top stories - Google News January 03, 2020 at 01:23PM https://ift.tt/2ZNMtjH Trump declares Iranian general's 'reign of terror' over - The Times of Israel Top stories - Google News https://ift.tt/2FLTecc Shoes Man Tutorial Pos News Update Meme Update Korean Entertainment News Japan News Update |
Forgotten gem of Mobile receives makeover - NBC 15 WPMI Posted: 03 Jan 2020 06:17 PM PST [unable to retrieve full-text content] Forgotten gem of Mobile receives makeover NBC 15 WPMI"Mobile" - Google News January 03, 2020 at 04:23PM https://ift.tt/2rWBwzQ Forgotten gem of Mobile receives makeover - NBC 15 WPMI "Mobile" - Google News https://ift.tt/2P9t7Cg Shoes Man Tutorial Pos News Update Meme Update Korean Entertainment News Japan News Update |
Mommy Musings: Telescopic tactics for goal setters - Longmont Times-Call Posted: 03 Jan 2020 06:06 PM PST This time of year sometimes takes me back to my days of moonlighting in a hothouse — a multi-story gym so congested in January that it felt humid and warm enough to grow orchids and heirloom tomatoes. Then, between 1991 and 2000, I taught just two weekly fitness classes in studios with a wall of skyline windows in back and a wall of mirrors in front at the downtown Minneapolis YMCA. And that is where I learned how to dial in the formula at work in every fit person: some combination of exercise-related intensity, frequency and duration. ![]() Many new Y members walked into that place to carry out New Year's resolutions. They hoped to trim inches and pounds or lower their blood pressure, resting heart rate and cholesterol level. Whatever their workout, many did it with enough frequency, intensity and duration to look and feel better a year later — even if they had not met their goal yet. Others usually disappeared by February for the usual reasons. It cost them too much time, effort and, perhaps, cash outlay in the absence of overnight success. But there is another reason resolutions — particularly resolutions around longer-term goals — tank. In her 318-page book, "The Optimist's Telescope: Thinking Ahead in a Reckless Age" (Riverhead), author Bina Venkataraman argues that individuals have never been more capable of measuring their momentum toward a goal. In fitness endeavors, the smartwatches around our wrists and smartphones in our pockets give us instant feedback on personal metrics, such as steps walked and climbed, heart rate, sleep quality and more. But optimizing information in fitness, business, politics, climate change and more to reach longer-term goals requires something else, according to Venkataraman. It requires gazing at the horizon of your life alone and with others and contemplating a distant future with more imagination — a pursuit she calls foresight. Once, seafarers used a telescope as a tool to spot signs of danger and opportunity across the ocean. Now, individuals and society must focus using other tools to see across time for similar reasons, a notion she shared last fall during a "TED Talk" — an online presentation with the TED Conferences American media organization focused on "ideas worth spreading." Matthew Huston, who reviewed Venkataraman's book for the Washington Post, noted that she believes that many live separated from the reality of who they could become individually and collectively — for better and for worse. "We treat our future selves as strangers," he wrote. Of course, baby steps in the present count so much at the gym, the boardroom, the 12-step program recovery circle, etc. But goal getters frequently lift their eyes from that incremental work to stay connected with the bigger picture and on track despite delayed gratification, the author explains. "Why do we require immediate inducements to act in our own long-term interest?" Venkataraman writes. "In part because we see distant rewards as benefiting someone else." She reminds readers that shortsightedness in forecasting goals comes not from a lack of ability, but due to an unwillingness to become a realist with imagination. Consider a 25-year-old who views the distant future and manages to imagine himself or herself at 65. That person might be more likely then to invest in a related goal, such as saving money for retirement. That decision stems from understanding the reality of aging and imagining what retirement will look like with financial planning and without it. Venkataraman, a former journalist and climate advisor to the Obama administration, offers various "telescopic tactics" to improve in forecasting around goals, such as using "if-then" language. For instance, if you decide to sell your internal combustion engine car — let's say a second vehicle — to make do with one car, then you could afford a more environmentally friendly hybrid vehicle with better gas mileage. Another Venkataraman tool taps imaginative empathy: "… [Write] a letter to yourself to open 50 years in the future, or to a child, or niece, or nephew, or godkid … and try to inhabit that future as you imagine it to clarify what the choices are in the present that can lead us to different kinds of outcomes. If you want to imagine a better future, and if you can dare to do that, what are the things that have to change in both your actions and society to make that happen?" Happy New Year! Pam Mellskog can be reached at p.mellskog@gmail.com or at 303-746-0942. For more posts and photos, please timescall.com/mommy-musings-blog. "Goal" - Google News January 03, 2020 at 02:01PM https://ift.tt/39HrNyv Mommy Musings: Telescopic tactics for goal setters - Longmont Times-Call "Goal" - Google News https://ift.tt/35TEe8t Shoes Man Tutorial Pos News Update Meme Update Korean Entertainment News Japan News Update |
Analysis: Did the US just declare 'war' against Iran? - Al Jazeera English Posted: 03 Jan 2020 05:33 PM PST Top stories - Google News January 03, 2020 at 12:02AM https://ift.tt/2FhLkri Analysis: Did the US just declare 'war' against Iran? - Al Jazeera English Top stories - Google News https://ift.tt/2FLTecc Shoes Man Tutorial Pos News Update Meme Update Korean Entertainment News Japan News Update |
Qassem Soleimani: Who was the Iranian commander killed in US airstrike? - LBC Posted: 03 Jan 2020 05:33 PM PST 3 January 2020, 10:55 Who was Qassem Soleimani? All you need to know about the Iranian Major General who was killed in a US airstrike at Baghdad International Airport. Major General Qassem Soleimani was once described by Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as a "living martyr of the revolution." He was an icon of the country's 1979 Islamic Revolution who was hailed a figure of national resilience against four decades of US pressure and sanctions. But, for the US and Israel, he was an enemy of the west and a shadowy figure in charge of Iran's proxy forces. Who was General Qassem Soleimani?In the eyes of those in Washington and Tel Aviv, he was directly responsible for fighters in Syria backing President Bashar al-Assad and for the deaths of American troops in Iraq. The General survived Iran's long war with Iraq in the 1980s and took control of the Revolutionary Guard's elite Quds Force - the troops responsible for the Islamic Republic's foreign campaigns. His name was fairly unknown in the Middle-Eastern country until the US invaded Iraq in 2003, however his popularity and allure grew once American officials began calling for his assassination. A number of rumours circulated about his death over the years. One of those stories involved a 2006 plane crash that killed other military officials in north-western Iran, and another was a 2012 Damascus bombing that killed top aides of Assad. By the time he was killed in the early hours of Friday morning, Gen Soleimani had become the nation's most recognisable battlefield commander who was as powerful, if not more so, than its civilian leadership. "The warfront is mankind's lost paradise," Gen Soleimani recounted in a 2009 interview. "One type of paradise that is portrayed for mankind is streams, beautiful nymphs and greeneries. But there is another kind of paradise ... The warfront was the lost paradise of the human beings, indeed." US airstrike and tensions with IranUS President Donald Trump ordered the military to take "decisive defensive action to protect US personnel abroad by killing" the 62-year-old commander. Iran's upper echelons swiftly vowed "crushing revenge" for the assassination, which follows years of tensions between the Islamic Republic and the US. The US President ripped up the rulebook by pulling out of Tehran's nuclear deal with world powers in May 2018. Early life and military careerBorn on 11 March 1957, Gen Soleimani was believed - by Iranians - to have grown up near the mountainous and historic Iranian town of Rabor. However, the US State Department claims he was born in the Iranian religious capital of Qom. Information about his childhood is largely unknown, but it is thought that he was born to a peasant father. Following the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the commander joined the Revolutionary Guard and was later sent to Iran's north-west alongside forces that suppressed Kurdish unrest following the revolution. In the following months, Iraq invaded Iran, initiating a long and bloody eight-year war that left more than one million people dead. Gen Soleimani developed a reputation for being opposed to "meaningless deaths" on the battlefield, but more or less disappeared from public view following the conflict. He took charge of the Quds Force following the presidency of Hashemi Rafsanjani, who ruled from 1989 to 1997. Soleimani's involvement in IraqIn secret US diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks, American officials openly discussed Iraqi efforts to reach out to the General to stop rocket attacks on the highly secured Green Zone in Baghdad in 2009. Another cable in 2007 outlined then-Iraqi president Jalal Talabani offering a US official a message from Gen Soleimani acknowledging having "hundreds" of agents in the country, while pledging: "I swear on the grave of (the late Ayatollah Ruhollah) Khomeini I haven't authorised a bullet against the US." US forces dismissed his claim and blamed the Quds Force for an attack in Karbala that killed five American troops, as well as for training and supplying the bomb makers of improvised explosive devices. In a 2010 speech, US General David Petraeus recounted a message from Gen Soleimani that he said explained the scope of the Iranian's powers. "He said, 'Gen Petraeus, you should know that I, Qassem Soleimani, control the policy for Iran with respect to Iraq, Lebanon, Gaza and Afghanistan'," Gen Petraeus said. The US and the United Nations put the Iranian military chief on sanctions lists in 2007, however his travels did not stop. In 2011, US officials also named him as a defendant in an outlandish Quds Force plot to allegedly hire a purported Mexican drug cartel assassin to kill a Saudi diplomat. Soleimani's involvement in SyriaBut his greatest notoriety would arise from the Syrian civil war and the rapid expansion of Isis. Iran, a major backer of Assad, sent Gen Soleimani into Syria several times to lead attacks against Isis and others opposing Assad's rule. While a US-led coalition focused on airstrikes, several ground victories for Iraqi forces came with photographs emerging of Gen Soleimani leading, never wearing a flak jacket. "Soleimani has taught us that death is the beginning of life, not the end of life," one Iraqi militia commander said. Top stories - Google News January 03, 2020 at 02:55AM https://ift.tt/2FgkAas Qassem Soleimani: Who was the Iranian commander killed in US airstrike? - LBC Top stories - Google News https://ift.tt/2FLTecc Shoes Man Tutorial Pos News Update Meme Update Korean Entertainment News Japan News Update |
Iran's Qassim Suleimani matters in death as much as in life - Quartz Posted: 03 Jan 2020 04:33 PM PST ![]() The US Department of Defense announced today that an American airstrike in Baghdad killed Qasem Soleimani, head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force. This triggered a spike in oil and gold prices, and set World War III trending on Twitter. Who was Soleimani? And why does he matter? There are competing perspectives, with sharply differing points of view. The US believes Soleimani was a terrorist, akin to Al Qaeda's Osama bin Laden or Abu Bakr al Baghdadi of ISIS. But even within the US, there is acknowledgement of Soleimani's status and role in Iran. Soleimani, who masterminded Iran's regional strategy for more than 20 years, was described by Middle East watchers as "like a Middle East viceroy." He led Iranian overseas operations, building military and political alliances that allowed Iran to wield greater clout in the region. Last year, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei awarded Soleimani the country's highest military honor. Khamenei vowed "severe retaliation" for Soleimani's killing. Veteran diplomats said the US assassination of Soleimani could be described as the equivalent of a foreign force taking out the current head of US Central Command. Indeed, Soleimani's status in his country may be more accurately likened to that of General Colin Powell, one of America's most highly regarded military strategists in modern times. Soleimani has been described as "the equivalent of the J.S.O.C. commander, the C.I.A. director and Iran's real foreign minister," in a reference to the acronym for the United States' Joint Special Operations Command. Even so, the Pentagon said "General Soleimani was actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region." It pointed out that Iran's Revolutionary Guard is a "US-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization," and added that Soleimani and his Quds Force "were responsible for the deaths of hundreds of American and coalition service members and the wounding of thousands more." Republican senator Lindsey Graham, an ally of president Donald Trump's, said that Soleimani "had American blood on his hands." Nikki Haley, Trump's former UN ambassador, said Soleimani was "an arch terrorist." Leading members of the Democratic Party didn't disagree about Soleimani's record, but questioned the wisdom of taking him out. Adam Schiff, the Democratic chair of the House intelligence committee, said that "Soleimani was responsible for unthinkable violence and world is better off without him." Joe Biden, a leading Democratic presidential candidate, said "no American will mourn Solemani's passing." He added, however, that taking his life would probably have significant consequences: "President Trump just tossed a stick of dynamite into a tinderbox." Top stories - Google News January 03, 2020 at 02:48AM https://ift.tt/2Qn35M0 Iran's Qassim Suleimani matters in death as much as in life - Quartz Top stories - Google News https://ift.tt/2FLTecc Shoes Man Tutorial Pos News Update Meme Update Korean Entertainment News Japan News Update |
Iran vows 'harsh retaliation' in response to US killing of top general - Livemint Posted: 03 Jan 2020 04:33 PM PST ![]() Baghdad: Iran has vowed "harsh retaliation" for a U.S. airstrike near Baghdad's airport that killed Tehran's top general and the architect of its interventions across the Middle East, as tensions soared in the wake of the targeted killing. The killing of Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran's elite Quds Force, marks a major escalation in the standoff between Washington and Iran, which has careened from one crisis to another since President Donald Trump withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal and imposed crippling sanctions. The United States urged its U.S. citizens to leave Iraq "immediately." The State Department said the embassy in Baghdad, which was attacked by Iran-backed militiamen and other protesters earlier this week, is closed and all consular services have been suspended. Around 5,200 American troops are based in Iraq, where they mainly train Iraqi forces and help to combat Islamic State militants. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned that a "harsh retaliation is waiting" for the U.S. after the airstrike, calling Soleimani the "international face of resistance." Khamenei declared three days of public mourning for the general's death. Iran also summoned the Swiss charges d'affaires, who represents U.S. interests in Tehran, to protest the killing. Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif called the strike "an act of state terrorism and violation of Iraq's sovereignty." The killing, and any forceful retaliation by Iran, could ignite a conflict that engulfs the whole region, endangering U.S. troops in Iraq, Syria and beyond. Over the last two decades Soleimani had assembled a network of powerful and heavily armed allies stretching all the way to southern Lebanon, on Israel's doorstep. The Defense Department said it killed Soleimani because he "was actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region." It also accused Soleimani of approving the orchestrated violent protests at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad earlier this week. The airport strike also killed Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, deputy commander of Iran-backed militias in Iraq known as the Popular Mobilization Forces. A PMF official said the strike killed a total of eight people, including Soleimani's son-in-law, whom he did not identify. Trump was vacationing on his estate in Palm Beach, Florida, but sent out a tweet of an American flag. The dramatic attack comes at the start of a year in which Trump faces both a Senate trial following his impeachment by the Congress and a re-election campaign. It marks a potential turning point in the Middle East and represents a drastic change for American policy toward Iran after months of tensions. Tehran shot down a U.S. military surveillance drone and seized oil tankers last year. The U.S. also blames Iran for a series of other attacks targeting tankers, as well as a September assault on Saudi Arabia's oil industry that temporarily halved its production. The tensions are rooted in in Trump's decision in May 2018 to withdraw the U.S. from Iran's nuclear deal with world powers, struck under his predecessor, Barack Obama. The 62-year-old Soleimani was the target of Friday's U.S. attack, which was conducted by an armed American drone, according to a U.S. official. His vehicle was struck on an access road near the Baghdad airport. A senior Iraqi security official said the airstrike took place near the cargo area after Soleimani left his plane and joined al-Muhandis and others in a car. The official said the plane had arrived from either Lebanon or Syria. PMF officials said the bodies of Suleimani and al-Muhandis were torn to pieces. A senior politician said Soleimani's body was identified by the ring he wore. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief media. It's unclear what legal authority the U.S. relied on to carry out the attack. American presidents claim broad authority to act without the approval of the Congress when U.S. personnel or interests are facing an imminent threat. The Pentagon did not provide evidence to back up its assertion that Soleimani was planning new attacks against Americans. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the "highest priority" was to protect American lives and interests, but that "we cannot put the lives of American service members, diplomats and others further at risk by engaging in provocative and disproportionate actions." "Tonight's airstrike risks provoking further dangerous escalation of violence. America – and the world – cannot afford to have tensions escalate to the point of no return," she said in a statement. She said Congress was not consulted on the strike and demanded it be "immediately" briefed on the situation and the next steps. Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden said Trump had "tossed a stick of dynamite into a tinderbox," saying it could leave the U.S. "on the brink of a major conflict across the Middle East." Other Democratic White House hopefuls also criticized Trump's order. But Trump allies were quick to praise the action. "To the Iranian government: if you want more, you will get more," tweeted South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham. The killing promised to strain relations with Iraq's government, which is closely allied with both Washington and Tehran. Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi condemned the strike as an "aggression against Iraq" and a "blatant attack on the nation's dignity." He also called for an emergency session of parliament to take "necessary and appropriate measures to protect Iraq's dignity, security and sovereignty." The Syrian government, which has received key support from Iran throughout the civil war, also condemned the strike, saying it could lead to a "dangerous escalation" in the region. Hassan Nasrallah, the head of the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, released a statement mourning those killed in the U.S. strike, saying their blood was not wasted. For Iran, the killing represents the loss of a cultural icon who represented national pride and resilience while facing U.S. sanctions. While careful to avoid involving himself in politics, Soleimani's profile rose sharply as U.S. and Israeli officials blamed him for Iranian proxy attacks abroad. While Iran's conventional military has suffered under 40 years of American sanctions, the Guard has built up a ballistic missile program. It also can strike asymmetrically in the region through forces like Lebanon's Hezbollah and Yemen's Houthi rebels. The U.S. long has blamed Iran for car bombings and kidnappings it never claimed. As the head of the Quds, or Jersualem, Force of Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, Soleimani led all of its expeditionary forces and frequently shuttled between Iraq, Lebanon and Syria. Quds Force members have deployed into Syria's long war to support President Bashar Assad, as well as into Iraq in the wake of the 2003 U.S. invasion that toppled dictator Saddam Hussein, a longtime foe of Tehran. Soleimani rose to even greater prominence by advising forces fighting the Islamic State group in Iraq and in Syria. U.S. officials say the Guard under Soleimani taught Iraqi militants how to manufacture and use especially deadly roadside bombs against U.S. troops after the invasion of Iraq. Iran has denied that. Soleimani himself remains popular among many Iranians, who see him as a selfless hero fighting Iran's enemies abroad. Soleimani's killing follows the New Year's Eve attack by Iran-backed militias on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. The two-day embassy attack, which ended Wednesday, prompted Trump to order about 750 U.S. troops deployed to the Middle East. No one was killed or wounded in the attack, which appeared to be mainly a show of force. It prompted Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to postpone his trip to Ukraine and four other countries "to continue monitoring the ongoing situation in Iraq and ensure the safety and security of Americans in the Middle East," the State Department said. The breach at the embassy followed U.S. airstrikes Sunday that killed 25 fighters of Kataeb Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militia operating in Iraq and Syria. The U.S. military said the strikes were in retaliation for last week's killing of an American contractor in a rocket attack on an Iraqi military base that the U.S. blamed on the militia. U.S. officials have suggested they were prepared to engage in further retaliatory attacks in Iraq. "The game has changed," Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Thursday, telling reporters that violent acts by Iran-backed Shiite militias in Iraq will be met with U.S. military force. This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed. Top stories - Google News January 03, 2020 at 01:11AM https://ift.tt/2rWqb2K Iran vows 'harsh retaliation' in response to US killing of top general - Livemint Top stories - Google News https://ift.tt/2FLTecc Shoes Man Tutorial Pos News Update Meme Update Korean Entertainment News Japan News Update |
Apple wins Christmas: iPhone claims top 9 spots for mobile device activations in the US - 9to5Mac Posted: 03 Jan 2020 04:17 PM PST In a report from Flurry Analytics, Apple was the winner of the holiday gift season with the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and a healthy mix of older models contributing to the company's dominance over every other manufacturer, in the United States at least. For the period Christmas Day through New Year's Eve, Apple iPhones and iPads represented about 43% of all mobile device activations in the US, according to the report.
![]() Try Amazon Prime 30-Day Free TrialDespite not appearing in the top 10 chart, Samsung was actually the second most successful manufacturer for the overall US holiday period, with a diverse share of cheaper handsets making up the majority of its activations. On just Christmas Day, the report says that Apple iPhone models took the top nine spots for activations. That means a lot of iPhones were sitting under the Christmas tree ready to be unwrapped. Over the week, the entry-level Apple flagship phone, the iPhone 11, was unsurprisingly the most popular phone with 6.2% of the total pie. iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max accounted for 5.27% share. The other spots in the list show a long tail of older iPhones in use with iPhone XR, iPhone 8, iPhone 7, and even the iPhone 6 Plus making the list. This report only covers phones and tablets. All signs point to holiday demand for AirPods and Apple Watch also being strong. Apple reports official quarterly earnings on January 28. Although the company no longer releases unit sales numbers, we will see how well Apple's holiday quarter sales affected the bottom line financials. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More. Check out 9to5Mac on YouTube for more Apple news: "Mobile" - Google News January 03, 2020 at 03:40PM https://ift.tt/37AosPS Apple wins Christmas: iPhone claims top 9 spots for mobile device activations in the US - 9to5Mac "Mobile" - Google News https://ift.tt/2P9t7Cg Shoes Man Tutorial Pos News Update Meme Update Korean Entertainment News Japan News Update |
「WACK合同オーディション2020」開催決定、合宿参加メンバーはこの6名 - ナタリー Posted: 03 Jan 2020 04:38 AM PST 「WACK合同オーディション2020」開催決定、合宿参加メンバーはこの6名 - ナタリー ![]() 「WACK合同オーディション」は毎年恒例となっているWACK主催のアイドルオーディション。最終審査は前年度と同様に合宿形式で行われる。合宿にはWACK所属グループから、セントチヒロ・チッチ(BiSH)、月ノウサギ(GANG PARADE)、MiDORiKO EMPiRE(EMPiRE)、チャントモンキー(BiS)、ウルウ・ル(CARRY LOOSE)、ナオ・オブ・ナオ(豆柴の大群)の6名の参加が決定。WACKの育成グループ・ オーディションへの応募資格は14歳から25歳までの女性で経験は不問。特定のレコード会社、プロダクションと契約がなく、所属中の人のは1月31日までに事務所等契約解除通知を証明できることが条件となる。興味のある人はWACKのオフィシャルサイトで詳細を確認しよう。 2020-01-03 12:00:00Z https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiJGh0dHBzOi8vbmF0YWxpZS5tdS9tdXNpYy9uZXdzLzM2MTkzM9IBKGh0dHBzOi8vYW1wLm5hdGFsaWUubXUvbXVzaWMvbmV3cy8zNjE5MzM?oc=5 |
Travelex takes down website and mobile app following malware attack - TechRadar India Posted: 03 Jan 2020 04:17 AM PST ![]() Foreign currency seller Travelex has been forced to take its website offline following a large-scale cyberattack. The company confirmed it had suffered a serious malware attack on New Year's Eve, and would be suspending its online operations and mobile app whilst it fixed the damage. Travelex said that its initial investigation found, "no indication that any personal or customer data has been compromised", but that other banks that use its travel money services, including Tesco Bank, have been affected. SuspendedThe UK Travelex website is currently still offline, dispalying a "server error" page, but the company's social media pages still appear to be in operation. "We regret having to suspend some of our services in order to contain the virus and protect data," Travelex boss Tony D'Souza said in a statement. "We apologise to all our customers for any inconvenience caused as a result," Mr D'Souza added, "We are doing all we can to restore our full services as soon as possible." Customers will still be able to carry out transactions in Travelex stores acrossd the country, but Travelex confirmed that staff are "unable to perform transactions on the website or through the app." Travelex says it has now deployed "teams of IT specialists and external cyber-security experts", who have been "working continuously since New Year's Eve to isolate the virus and restore affected systems". There's no news yet on what virus or malware was used in the attack, with no cybercrime group yet to claim responsibility. "Mobile" - Google News January 03, 2020 at 02:31AM https://ift.tt/35earWo Travelex takes down website and mobile app following malware attack - TechRadar India "Mobile" - Google News https://ift.tt/2P9t7Cg Shoes Man Tutorial Pos News Update Meme Update Korean Entertainment News Japan News Update |
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