Delhi elections 2020: Voters’ slips to have QR code to help identification

This provision will help in faster identification of electors

Technology will be an important component in the upcoming Delhi polls as voters’ slips will carry QR code to facilitate electors and speed up their identification, officials said on Monday.

The CEO Office here had recently said that Delhi will be the first state/UT in which a booth app shall be used in every polling station for the first time in the country. “This latest technological innovation will make the poll process fast through use of QR (Quick Response) Code reading of voter slips of electors,” a senior official said.

This provision will help in faster identification of electors. The app will give the status of electors waiting in the queue to the public, who can plan their visit to polling station accordingly for their convenience. Booth app will also give voter turnout on a real-time basis on polling day, the official said.

Sources said, a proposal is also being considered to allow carrying mobile phones to booths to download QR code from the voters helpline app, if a voter forgets to bring the slip, adding, the phone after scanning the generated QR code would be deposited in a locker before casting of vote. It is just a proposal as of now, a source said. To make election accessible, there will be provision of Braille EPIC, Braille photo voter slip, ramp, wheel chair, volunteers, sign language and pick and drop’ facilities etc., for voters with disability…

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Thousands trapped on Australia beaches as bushfire leaves no escape by land

Australia’s remarkable bushfires have been consuming for a considerable length of time, yet the most recent in a progression of heatwaves and high breezes have fashioned new destruction

A great many holidaymakers and local people had to escape to sea shores in fire-desolated southeast Australia Tuesday, as blasts tore through well known visitor territories leaving no way out via land. 4,000 individuals were caught on the foreshore of the town of Mallacoota and numerous others looked for shelter on sea shores in fire-surrounded ocean side towns here and there a 200-kilometer (135-mile) segment of coast.

A few inhabitants with vessels even took to the ocean, seeking after shelter from one the most noticeably terrible days yet in Australia‘s months-long bushfire emergency. Many properties were dreaded to have been crushed since late Monday and in any event seven individuals were unaccounted for in New South Wales and Victoria states as flares arrived at well-populated towns like Batemans Bay.

In certain spots the blasts were so exceptional, the smoke so thick and the fire-incited dry lightning storms so extreme that aeronautical observation and waterbombing must be ended, the New South Wales Rural Fire Service said. In Mallacoota, smoke went day to night and the specialists said close by flames were causing outrageous tempests and “coal assaults”. “We have a fire that resembles it’s going to affect on Mallacoota,” Victoria’s Emergency Management Commissioner Andrew Crisp told open supporter ABC, including that firemen had been conveyed to ensure the gathering…

Govt may breach fiscal deficit target; need for stimulus rises: Report

The government has set a 3.3 per cent fiscal deficit target for the current fiscal.

The government might breach the fiscal deficit target this financial year amid drop in the revenue mobilisation and expected additional expenditure by the government, says a report. According to Dun & Bradstreet’s Economy Forecast, the need for fiscal stimulus has increased even as the government finances remain “strained”.

“We expect that the drop in the revenue mobilisation of the government and likelihood of additional expenditure by the government might breach the fiscal deficit target in FY20,” Dun & Bradstreet India Chief Economist Arun Singh said. The government has set a 3.3 per cent fiscal deficit target for the current fiscal.

Singh further added that given the resources constraints, increase in fiscal deficit might lead to crowding out of private investments. According to the report, corporate liabilities are already higher. The balance-sheets of corporates, government, banks and households remain constrained or weak and revenue collection will play an important role.

“Revenue collection will thus be important for the government to implement a fiscal stimulus. To do that, tax reforms are needed. GST should be simplified further, and direct tax collections should increase,” Singh said. As per the report, the index of industrial production is likely to remain subdued in the short to medium term amid slowdown in demand, lackluster investment and weak exports….

Sacred Games 2 to Leila: Here’s what Indians are watching on Netflix

Five of the ten most popular shows such as Bard of Blood, Delhi Crime, and Typewriter are Indian

The second season of Sacred Games was the most popular series on Netflix in India in 2019. The $15.8-billion Netflix, which is available in 160 million homes across 190 countries, rarely shares viewership data. This week, the firm released a list of the most popular series and movies released on its platform in India.

Five of the ten most popular shows such as Bard of Blood, Delhi Crime, and Typewriter are Indian. The rest are an eclectic mix of international shows. There is science-fiction horror show Stranger Things (Season 3) and the witty Sex Education, among others. On the other hand, four of the top ten films are Netflix movies — Drive, House Arrest, 6 Underground, and Chopsticks. Not surprisingly,

as percentage of the overall time spent on Netflix globally, film viewing in India is the highest. About one-fourth of the television time is spent on watching movies. The ranking is based on the “number of accounts choosing to watch at least two minutes of a series, movie or special during its first 28 days on Netflix in 2019,” says a Netflix release. The same methodology is used to calculate its daily Top 10 lists in the UK and Mexico.

RBI wants urban cooperative banks to focus mainly on priority sector

UCBs’ objective for need part loaning has been proposed at 75 percent of their credit from 40 percent now

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Monday suggested that the single and gathering borrower breaking points of urban helpful banks (UCBs) ought to be cut down and a large portion of the advances given ought not be of more than Rs 25 lakh, while the need area loaning targets ought to be raised steeply.

UCBs’ objective for need division loaning has been proposed at 75 percent of their credit from 40 percent now. The objective must be come to in stages — 50 percent by March 2021, 60 percent by March 2022, and 75 percent by March 2023.

The RBI suggested that the single and gathering borrower points of confinement ought to be 10 percent and 25 percent, individually, of a bank’s level 1 capital. At present, UCBs are permitted to have exposures of up to 15 percent and 40 percent of their capital assets to a solitary borrower and a gathering of borrowers, individually.

Urban helpful investors said the draft standards were like those endorsed for little money banks (SFBs). These standards, on the off chance that they become rules, will hamper the development of cooperatives, they said. The move is by all accounts to push UCBs to become SFBs, they said…

Billionaire Hinduja brothers set to bid for Jet Airways by Jan 15: Report

Thoughts are at beginning period and Hinduja Group may rule against offering, or different bidders may rise, the individuals said.

The Hinduja Group is setting up an offer to purchase grounded bearer Jet Airways India Ltd., as indicated by individuals acquainted with the issue. The U.K.- based gathering, run by siblings Gopichand Hinduja and Ashok Hinduja, plans to present a statement of enthusiasm by the Jan. 15 cutoff time, flagging its expectation to make a conventional offer, the individuals stated, asking not to be distinguished as the consultations are private. Hinduja is looking for an accomplice to offer, one of the individuals said.

Loan bosses are looking for crisp offers for Jet Airways after prior getting enthusiasm from just a solitary organization, Synergy Group Corp. The Mumbai-based aircraft, which was previously the nation’s biggest by advertise esteem, succumbed to a ferocious value war started by a large number of spending transporters and in the long run defaulted to banks, staff and lessors.

State Bank of India and Punjab National Bank have asserted 82.3 billion rupees ($1.2 billion), while different leasers, similar to workers and lessors, are looking for 64 billion rupees from the carrier, which is 24% claimed by Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways PJSC. Hinduja Group had recently considered offering for Jet Airways in organization with Etihad, yet Etihad casted off the proposition and Jet Airways was tipped into chapter 11. Gopichand Hinduja told the Mint paper this month that the gathering was available to purchasing Jet Airways whenever repaid from the carrier’s legitimate liabilities….

No decision on passenger and freight fare hike, says Railway Board

The railway board chairman further said that efforts are on to ensure that after next five years, passengers do not have to face difficulties due to waitlisted tickets.

Railway Board Chairman Vinod Kumar Yadav has said no decision has been taken to increase passenger and freight fares. On Thursday, Yadav had said the railways was in the process of “rationalising” its passengers and freight fares.

He told reporters here on Saturday the railways will work towards providing better facilities to its passengers and would run more trains. “No decision has been taken to increase the passenger and freight fares. In the New Year, the Railway will try to give better facilities to its passengers and also focus on running of more trains,” Yadav said.

The railway board chairman further said that efforts are on to ensure that after next five years, passengers do not have to face difficulties due to waitlisted tickets. He also informed a private train operator is needed on Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi-Kolkata rail sections. “For this, private train operators will be invited and the necessary approval of the government has been obtained,” he said….

Insurance to futures, China’s $45 trn finance industry is set to open up

President Xi Jinping is seeking to cushion the world’s No. 2 economy against the steepest slowdown since the early 1990s

China’s big bang opening of its $45 trillion financial industry begins in earnest next year — a step-by-step affair that’s unfolding just as economic strains threaten the promised windfall luring in global firms.

Starting with its insurance and futures markets, the Communist Party ruled nation will enact the most sweeping changes in decades to allow the likes of Goldman Sachs Group Inc., JPMorgan Chase & Co. and BlackRock Inc. to expand their footprint in China and compete for a slice of its growing wealth.

President Xi Jinping is seeking to cushion the world’s No. 2 economy against the steepest slowdown since the early 1990s after a crackdown on risky lending squeezed corporate funding and a trade dispute with the U.S. hit exports. Not only will foreign firms bring with them fresh capital, policy makers expect they will force entrenched domestic players to sharpen their operations and become more responsive to the market.

China is at a stage where regulators and the government are comfortable that local business can handle the threat of foreign competition, according to Paul Schulte, Singapore-based founder of Schulte Research and former head of Asia strategy for Nomura Holdings Inc. Firms like Goldman and JPMorgan “are looking to expand, merge, buy, grow in the next cycle — not this one.”

2 minors among 6 dead as car plunges into canal in Greater Noida due to fog

According to the police, there was one more car accompanying the Ertiga and all the occupants were residents of Sambhal district who were on their way to Delhi.

Six people, including two minors, were killed when their car skidded off the road and fell into a canal in Uttar Pradesh’s Greater Noida, apparently due to fog, police said on Monday. Five other occupants of the vehicle sustained injuries in the incident that took place around 11.30 pm on Sunday, they said.”Altogether 11 people were on board the Maruti Ertiga. The car fell into the Kherli canal in Dankaur area. All 11 were taken to a hospital, where doctors declared six of them dead, while the remaining five are undergoing treatment,” a police spokesperson said.

Prima facie, the accident appeared to have taken place due to low visibility caused by fog, the official added. According to the police, there was one more car accompanying the Ertiga and all the occupants were residents of Sambhal district who were on their way to Delhi. The deceased have been identified as Mahesh (35), Kishan Lal (50), Neeresh (17), Ram Khiladi (75), Mallu (12) and Netrapal (40), they said.

NRC an internal affair of Indian govt, says Bangladesh Border Guards chief

The BGB will keep on attempting to counteract illicit intersections into India, its Director General Maj Gen Shafeenul Islam said at a question and answer session here.

The procedure of production of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) is totally an “inside issue” of the Indian government and the collaboration between the outskirt guarding powers of the two nations is awesome, the head of Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) said on Sunday.

The BGB will keep on attempting to forestall unlawful intersections into India, its Director General Maj Gen Shafeenul Islam said at a question and answer session here. A BGB appointment, drove by Islam, is on a reciprocal visit to India to hold DG-level fringe chats with their partners, the BSF said.

“This is totally an interior undertaking of the Indian government,” he said when requested to remark on the NRC issue. When gotten some information about the arrangements of the CAA that tries to allow Indian citizenship to mistreated non-Muslims from three nations, the DG said he might not want to offer any remarks….

3 Indians killed, 13 injured in Egypt road accident, MEA assisting families

The buses were heading to the beach-resort town of Hurghada on Saturday when they collided with the truck near Ain Sokhna town, about 120 kilometres east of Cairo

Three Indians were killed and 13 others injured when two buses carrying tourists crashed into a truck in Egypt’s Suez governorate, the Indian embassy here said on Sunday. The buses were heading to the beach-resort town of Hurghada on Saturday when they collided with the truck near Ain Sokhna town, about 120 kilometres east of Cairo.

“We regret to inform that 3 Indian citizens have lost their lives in the bus accident that occurred on 28 December near Ain Sokhna. Others who are injured are receiving medical treatment at various hospitals in Egypt,” the Indian embassy in Egypt tweeted. It said the relatives of the deceased and the injured have been contacted and all assistance is being rendered to them.

“Embassy officials are present at the hospitals and in touch with hospital authorities,” the mission said. The embassy said there were 16 Indian tourists on the buses. According to the local media, the deceased also include two Malaysians and three Egyptians. More than 20 people were injured and rushed to the hospital. Road accidents occur in Egypt mainly due to damaged roads and poor traffic regulations. In 2018, there were 8,480 road accidents compared with 11,098 the previous year, according to the bureau of statistics…

Inform 24-hours before holding protest: DU issues notice amid anti-CAA stir

 The Left-upheld All India Students’ Association censured the move, naming it ‘hostile to popularity based’, and said it is a protected right of residents to dissent

When a few colleges are seeing fights against the altered citizenship law, the Delhi University has given a notification saying it ought to be educated ahead of time about any ‘social occasion’ or ‘exhibition’. A notification gave on December 27 by Proctor Neeta Sehgal in such manner additionally requires the coordinator to submit other data like subtleties of the program, the rundown of speakers, expected number of members and so on.

The Left-upheld All India Students’ Association (AISA) denounced the move, naming it “hostile to law based”, and said it is a sacred right of residents to dissent. As indicated by the notification, “Earlier insinuation of social affair/fight/exhibit outside Arts Faculty entryway and connecting zone is compulsory.” “The coordinators are required to outfit the accompanying data to the Proctor’s Office in any event 24 hours ahead of time,” it said while looking for different subtleties of program.

There have been open gatherings and fights close to the Arts Faculty, some against the new citizenship law and some in support. The AISA said “fight is an established right of the residents and the understudies, and should be liberated from any sort of administrative work”. “AISA, with the understudy network, dismisses these enemy of equitable diktats of the DU organization,” it said…

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Matheran’s heritage toy train to resume service from Friday; check details

The toy train is a major attraction for tourists who throng the hill station situated just 100 km from Mumbai

Matheranl’s famous heritage toy train will get back on track again, as the Central Railway announced that it will resume shuttle services between Aman Lodge and Matheran stations from Friday onwards, a railway official said on Thursday.

The Central Railway had suspended the narrow-gauge train service from August 9, 2019, after the tracks got severely damaged during monsoon. The zonal railway announced the resumption of shuttle services after getting a safety nod for running trains between Aman Lodge and Matheran, following successful trials in the last two days, the official said. The shuttle services on the 3-km stretch will be operated between 8.15 am to 5.55 pm, he added. “The first service will depart from Matheran at 8.15 am, while the last run will be from Aman Lodge at 5.35 pm,” he said. While eight services will be operated during weekdays, the CR will ply 10 services on weekends, the official said.

The toy train is a major attraction for tourists who throng the hill station situated just 100 km from Mumbai. Operational since 1907, the Neral-Matheran Toy train was included in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) tentative list of world heritage sites in 2003..

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Typhoon Phanfone leaves 28 dead in Philippines; thousands flee their homes

One disaster response officer described the battered coastal town of Batad in Iloilo province as a “ghost town” on Christmas Day

A strong typhoon that barreled through the central Philippines left at least 28 dead and 12 missing, and forced thousands to flee their homes, devastating Christmas celebrations in the predominantly Roman Catholic country.

Typhoon Phanfone stranded many people in sea and airports at the peak of holiday travel, set off landslides, flooded low-lying villages, destroyed houses, downed trees and electrical poles and knocked out power in entire provinces. One disaster response officer described the battered coastal town of Batad in Iloilo province as a “ghost town” on Christmas Day.

“You can’t see anybody because there was a total blackout, you can’t hear anything. The town looked like a ghost town,” Cindy Ferrer of the regional Office of the Civil Defense said by phone. The storm weakened as it blew into the South China Sea with sustained winds of 120 kilometers per hour and gusts of 150 kph, after lashing island after island with fierce winds and pounding rain on Christmas Day, the weather agency said.

Most of the deaths reported by police and local officials were due to drowning, falling trees and accidental electrocution. A father, his three children and another relative were among those missing in hard-hit Iloilo province after a swollen river inundated their shanty….

CAA, NRC ‘may affect status’ of Muslims in India: US Congressional report

The December 18 report also said that for the first time in independent India’s history, a religious criterion has been added to the country’s naturalization process.

The amended citizenship law along with a National Register of Citizens (NRC) being planned by the Narendra Modi government “may affect the status” of Muslim minority in India, a report by US Congressional Research Service (CRS) has said. The December 18 report also said that for the first time in independent India’s history, a religious criterion has been added to the country’s naturalization process.

The CRS is an independent research wing of the US Congress which prepares reports periodically on issues of domestic and global importance for the lawmakers to take informed decision. These are not considered as official reports of the US Congress.

“In tandem with a National Register of Citizens (NRC) planned by the federal government, the CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act) may affect the status of India’s large Muslim minority of roughly 200 million,” said the CRS in its first ever report on the amended Citizenship law.

According to the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, non-Muslim refugees who came to India till December 31, 2014, to escape religious persecution in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan will be given Indian citizenship. Since both houses of Parliament approved amendments to the citizenship law earlier this month, protests – sometimes violent – have taken place across the country during which many protesters have died, especially in Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka…

Bek Air plane with 100 onboard crashes in Kazakhstan, 14 killed

The plane was flying to Nur-Sultan, the country’s capital formerly known as Astana

A Bek Air plane with 95 passengers and five crew members on board crashed near the city of Almaty in Kazakhstan on Friday shortly after taking off, killing at least 14 people, authorities in the Central Asian country said. The Fokker 100 aircraft was heading for the capital, Nur-Sultan, and “lost altitude during takeoff and broke through a concrete fence” before hitting a two-storey building, Kazakhstan‘s Civil Aviation Committee said in a statement.

At least 14 people were killed, and 22 have been hospitalised in grave condition, the Almaty mayor’s office said. The plane was taking off before dawn. A Reuters reporter travelling to the airport said there was thick fog in the area at the time. Authorities have not suggested any possible cause of the accident. The aviation committee said it was suspending all flights of that type of aircraft pending an investigation.

“Those responsible will face tough punishment in accordance with the law,” Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev tweeted, expressing condolences to the victims and their families

Indian Railways may rationalise fare, cut freight rates to boost economy

In September, the railways had announced several incentives to boost freight traffic

The railways may cut freight rates in a bid to boost economic growth, besides “rationalising” passenger fares. While Railway Board Chairman V K Yadav refused to say if passenger fares would see an increase, he hinted that freight rates might be reduced.

“We are going to rationalise the fares and freight rates. Something is being thought about. I cannot divulge more as this is a sensitive subject. While freight fares are already high, our target is to draw more traffic from road to railways in this regard,” Yadav said on Thursday.

In September, the Indian railway had announced several incentives to boost freight traffic. These included deferring the levy of busy season charge, waiving the supplementary charges applicable to loading rakes, and introducing the round-trip charge on container traffic.

The railways has been hit hard by the economic slowdown, with earnings from passenger fares dropping significantly. Passenger earnings stood at Rs 40,415 crore in the April-December period of 2019-20, according to Rail Drishti, the national transporter’s publicly available monitoring platform. Passenger earnings stood at Rs 51,066 crore in 2018-19.

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) in its report tabled in the recent Parliament session said the railways recorded an operating ratio of 98.44 per cent in 2017-18, the worst in the previous 10 years.

CAA, NRC protests : Many UP cities switch off internet to foil unrest

Thousands of police and paramilitary are on the streets in Uttar Pradesh to ensure peace for Friday prayers.

CAA Protests: A huge number of police and paramilitary are in the city in Uttar Pradesh to guarantee harmony for Friday supplications, trying to anticipate brutality that killed at any rate 19 individuals in about fourteen days of fights against the new citizenship law. Web has been suspended in 14 urban communities, including Bulandshar, Mathura, Ghaziabad and Agra, for the day to avoid bits of gossip during challenges the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC).

India has been shaken by shows since December 12, after the administration authorized CAA that gives non-Muslim minorities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan who moved here before 2015 a pathway to Indian citizenship.

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 Police walk through Gorakhpur

Police walked through Gorakhpur and met with harmony boards of trustees after savagery in the upper east Uttar Pradesh town on November 20. Paramilitary power and state police have been conveyed in the city, Gorakhpur District Magistrate Vijyendra Pandiyan told PTI.

Web off again in UP urban areas

Web suspended in Ghaziabad, Bulandshahr, Meerut, Muzaffarnagar and Shamli again after about seven days of administration. In Agra, web will be suspended till Friday evening, detailed news organization PTI citing an anonymous cop….

Vaughan calls ICC rankings ‘absolute garbage’ over England, NZ’s position

India are currently ranked number one in ICC Test team rankings, followed by New Zealand, South Africa, England and Australia

Sports News: Previous England chief Michael Vaughan has hammered the International Cricket Council’s positioning framework, naming it as “outright trash”. India are at present positioned number one in ICC Test group rankings, trailed by New Zealand, South Africa, England and Australia.

The cricketer-turned-pundit feels New Zealand and England don’t have the right to get the second and fourth spot in the ICC Test rankings as they haven’t won enough Test arrangement over the most recent two years. “I will be dead legitimate about the ICC rankings. I think they are total trash,” Vaughan was cited as saying by the ‘Sydney Morning Herald’.

“I have no clue how – New Zealand have prevailed upon a lot of arrangement the course of the most recent two years – yet for them to be second, and where it stands apart for me that the rankings can’t be correct is that England in Test coordinate cricket are third, and England for three or four years have battled in Test coordinate cricket, especially abroad,” he said.

The 45-year-old, who has captained England Test group from 2003 to 2008, said the ICC positioning is befuddling. “They have won arrangement at home. They have just barely attracted the Ashes English conditions, they just barely beat Ireland. I think the rankings are somewhat befuddling…

Trump’s trade wars expose an abiding truth on the bluff of free trade

The protectionist impulse behind the trade war remains as ineradicable as ever

As the year ends, a partial and brief ceasefire seems imminent in Donald Trump’s trade war on the world. The United States and China may sign a deal as early as next month. But make no mistake: The protectionist impulse behind the trade war remains as ineradicable as ever.

Nor should it be forgotten that economic nationalism has guided the destiny of all major nations since the 19th century. According to the ideological prejudices of the present, built up over nearly four decades of globalization, Trade War and deregulation represent the natural order of things. History, however, tells us that the United States was a protectionist power for much of its existence, and the tariff was a crucial factor in its dethronement of Britain as global economic leader by the early 20th century.

As William McKinley put it in 1890: “We lead all nations in agriculture; we lead all nations in mining; we lead all nations in manufacturing. These are the trophies which we bring after twenty-nine years of a protective tariff.”

The argument for economic nationalism against a manufacturing giant such as Britain was simple. British free-traders claimed that their ideology was best placed to bring prosperity and peace to the world. Their critics in countries less economically advanced than Britain, such as Germany’s Friedrich List, the 19th century’s most influential economic theorist, argued that free trade could only be a goal rather than the starting point of modern development.

Govt plans new policy to recover water tariffs from all kinds of consumers

The Centre will make available extra budgetary resources for the Mission, which will be allocated along with gross budgetary support to the states

The government wants to bring about structural changes to the provisions for drinking water supply services with a “utility-based” approach, according to the operational guidelines for the Jal Jeevan Mission released by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday. The move will enable institutions to focus on services and recover water tariffs from all kinds of consumers.

The project cost of providing 146 million functional household tap connections is estimated to be Rs 3.60 trillion, of which the Centre’s share will be Rs 2.08 trillion. According to the government data, of the 179 million rural households in the country, 81.67 per cent are yet to have water tap connections.

States will have a definite operations and maintenance policy, especially to meet the requirements such as monthly energy cost of the piped water supply scheme, by ensuring cost recovery from user groups and thereby avoiding any unwanted burden on public exchequer, according to the guidelines.

The Centre will make available extra budgetary resources for the Mission, which will be allocated along with gross budgetary support to the states. The government will incentivise good performance of states out of the fund not utilised by other states towards the end of the financial year, the guidelines said…

16 dead as typhoon Phanfone wreaks havoc on Christmas in Philippines

Typhoon Phanfone, with winds of 195 kilometres (120 miles) an hour, tore roofs off houses and toppled electric posts as it cut across the Philippines on Wednesday.

A typhoon that swept across remote villages and popular tourist areas of the central Philippines on Christmas Day claimed at least 16 lives, authorities said Thursday. Typhoon Phanfone, with winds of 195 kilometres (120 miles) an hour, tore roofs off houses and toppled electric posts as it cut across the Philippines on Wednesday.

With the internet and mobile phone networks still cut off in some badly damaged areas, a full assessment of Phanfone’s damage was not immediately possible on Thursday morning. But at least 16 people had been confirmed killed in villages and towns in the Visayas, the central third of the Philippines, according to disaster agency officials.

Typhoon Phanfone also hit Boracay, Coron and other holiday destinations that are famed for their white-sand beaches and popular with foreign tourists. The airport at Kalibo, which services Boracay, was badly damaged, according to a Korean tourist who was stranded there and provided images to AFP. “Roads remain blocked, but some efforts have been made to clear away the damage. It’s pretty bad,” Jung Byung Joon said via Instagram messenger.

“Everything within 100 meters of the airport looks broken. There are a lot of frustrated people at the airport as flights have been cancelled. “Taxis are still running but it’s windy and still raining so no one wants to leave the airport, including me. ” Though much weaker, Phanfone tracked a similar path as Super Typhoon Haiyan — the country’s deadliest storm on record which left more than 7,300 people dead or missing in 2013....

China’s first high-speed rail company launches IPO to raise over $5 billion

The listing adds to signs that China is pushing to further open industries dominated by state-owned companies.

The operator of China’s high-speed rail line between Beijing and Shanghai kicked off its initial public offering, which will for the first time allow investors to buy shares in what is the world’s largest such network.

Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway Co., a unit of state-owned China Railway Corp., plans to sell as many as 6.3 billion new shares, or 12.8% of enlarged capital, through the listing in Shanghai, according to its prospectus released Wednesday. Book building for the IPO will begin Jan. 6, it said. The company didn’t say how much it aimed to raise through the sale.

The listing adds to signs that China is pushing to further open industries dominated by state-owned companies. Beijing on Sunday outlined plans to allow private-sector businesses to enter industries including energy, telecoms and rail, and on Tuesday, Premier Li Keqiang pledged to give foreign investors greater access to service sectors including finance and health care.

Those steps have come as a campaign to rein in China’s shadow banking industry has sapped financing for many non-state firms and the trade war with the US has led some multinationals to reassess their investments. With economic growth at the slowest since the early 1990s, Beijing has sought to reassure these contingents and spur more capital spending.

Boeing messages disclose ‘very disturbing picture’ of 737 Max planes

This was the second time that the Chicago-based company has delayed turning over to the FAA sensitive messages related to the development of the 737 Max

A new batch of messages between Boeing Co. employees on the development of the 737 Max paints a “very disturbing picture” of concerns about the plane, according to an aide to a House committee.

The documents were turned over to the Federal Aviation Administration on Monday, the agency said in a statement. The disclosure came the same day that Boeing ousted its chief executive officer. At least some of them were written by the same Boeing pilot whose 2016 messages were released in October and were the subject of sharp questioning by lawmakers, according to a person familiar with their contents who wasn’t authorized to discuss them.

The communications haven’t been released publicly. The staff of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee are still reviewing the messages and didn’t provide specific details about what they contain. “But similar to other records previously disclosed by Boeing, the records appear to point to a very disturbing picture of both concerns expressed by Boeing employees about the company’s commitment to safety and efforts by some employees to ensure Boeing’s production plans were not diverted by regulators or others,” a committee aide said in a statement…

US welcomes Saudi verdict in Jamal Khashoggi case as ‘important step’

The United States “encouraged Saudi Arabia to undertake a fair and transparent judicial process”

The United States on Monday welcomed death sentences issued by Saudi Arabia against five people over the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. “Today’s verdicts were an important step in holding those responsible for this terrible crime accountable,” a State Department official told reporters after the ruling, which was lambasted as a travesty by Turkey, rights groups, and The Washington Post, to which Khashoggi contributed.

The court however exonerated two top aides to Saudi Arabia’s powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, whom the United States Senate considers responsible for Jamal Khashoggi‘s murder in October last year at Riyadh’s consulate in Istanbul. The United States “encouraged Saudi Arabia to undertake a fair and transparent judicial process,” the official added.

“We’re pressing them for more transparency and for holding everybody accountable.” Riyadh has described the murder as a “rogue” operation, but both the CIA and a United Nations special envoy have directly linked Prince Mohammed to the killing, a charge the kingdom vehemently denies.

The government of US President Donald Trump has been careful to not attribute such blame to the prince, giving priority to maintaining good relations with the kingdom which is a major arms buyer and ally against Iran…

Citizenship law protests live: March in Delhi, more states say no to NRC

At least 24 people have died across India in protests that broke out when Parliament passed the Citizenship (Amendment) Act on December 11.

Protesters in Delhi plan to march against the new citizenship law on Tuesday a day after the BJP government in Jharkhand lost power in state elections and deepened Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s political troubles.

Yogendra Yadav, president of Swaraj India political party, said on Twitter he and his supporters will march in central Delhi to protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act that bars undocumented Muslims from the neighboring countries of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh from seeking citizenship Bill while allowing people of other faiths to do so.

At least 24 people have died across India in protests that broke out when Parliament passed the law on December 11. The protests first erupted in Assam where there are fears of an influx of migrants from neighboring Bangladesh. Since then the protests have swept across the country with thousands decrying the new law as discriminatory. There are also fears that when joined with a National Citizens Registry the government had promised, the citizenship law will be used against India’s Muslim minority, reported Bloomberg`.

TV journalist, lawyer arrested in UP

A journalist and a lawyer were arrested in Uttar Pradesh’s Barabanki district on Monday after police accused them of using social media to “incite” people against the citizenship law, news agency PTI reported. Kamran Alvi, a journalist with a local TV news channel, and Dilkash Rizvi, were sent to jail, Superintendent of Police Akash Tomar said. Police said Rizvi, on December 21, tried to incite communal passion through Facebook Live and Alvi tried to trigger riots through social media. The two men allegedly again tried to incite riots on Monday…

Boeing CEO Muilenburg quits after 737 twin crashes, David Calhoun named CEO

Boeing said the company needed to ‘restore confidence’ and ‘repair relationships with regulators, customers and all other stakeholders.’

Boeing on Monday replaced its embattled chief executive, Dennis Muilenburg, saying a change was necessary as it attempts to restore its reputation amid the protracted 737 MAX crisis.

Boeing named board Chairman David Calhoun as chief executive and president, saying the company needed to “restore confidence” and “repair relationships with regulators, customers and all other stakeholders.” The company pledged to “operate with a renewed commitment to full transparency, including effective and proactive communication with the FAA, other global regulators and its customers.” The aerospace giant’s financial picture remains clouded following the global grounding of the MAX in March after two deadly crashes.

The move comes a week after Boeing took the monumental step of temporarily shutting down MAX production because of the crisis, which has pushed the aircraft’s return to the skies into 2020. Muilenburg will exit the company immediately but Calhoun, a former General Electric aviation executive, will not take the CEO post until January 13, 2020, while he exits existing commitments, Boeing said in a news release.

During that period, Chief Financial Officer Greg Smith will serve as interim CEO. Muilenburg’s response to the crisis has been increasingly criticized as the MAX grounding has dragged on far longer than initially expected as more disturbing details have dribbled out about the certification of the MAX. He has also been seen as tone deaf and awkward towards families of the 346 people killed in the crashes.