Apple reports higher profits, unveils big share buyback

Apple reports higher profits, unveils big share buyback
source: AFP

AFP/File / JIM YOUNG Apple CEO Tim Cook said the iPhone maker had its best March quarter ever with strong sales across products and regions

Apple reported a hefty jump in second-quarter earnings Tuesday and unveiled a new $100 billion share buyback plan, alleviating worries about the iPhone's prospects and a hit from US-China trade tensions.

Apple shares rose decisively after the report, which beat analyst expectations in terms of profit and sales. The company notched higher revenues in all regions and across most product categories, although iPhone sales lagged expectations.

Apple chief executive Tim Cook offered a bullish outlook on the company, touting the company's product pipeline as the "best we've ever had" and championing good sales of the iPhone 10, a recently unveiled model whose $1,000 price tag has aroused worries about being too high.

Shares jumped on the report, rising 3.8 percent to $175.49 in after-hours trading.

Earnings for the quarter ending March 31 rose 25.3 percent rise in earnings to $13.8 billion following 15.6 percent increase in revenues to $61.1 billion.

The company, flush with a huge cash pile on strong earnings enhanced by the US tax cut plan of 2017, announced $100 billion in new share buybacks plus a 16 percent boost to its quarterly dividend.

Chief financial officer Luca Maestri told an analyst conference call that the company would undertake the share purchases at "a very fast pace," but that the schedule would depend on market dynamics.

Analysts especially praised a big jump in revenues in Apple's services business, which is seen as an important element of diversification away from having revenues tied to gadgets.

A 31 percent rise in services to $9.2 billion followed big jumps in Apple Pay, Apple Music and other programs.

Angelo Zino, analyst at CFRA Research said the gain was evidence of "significant increase in paid subscriptions within (Apple's) ecosystem."

- Saturated smartphone market? -

Sales of iPhones, which account for nearly two-thirds of company revenues, rose during the quarter, although total volume came in at 52.2 million units, a bit below consensus estimates of 53 million.

Neil Saunders, managing director of Global Data Retail, pointed to "some less satisfactory nuances" in the Apple's iPhone data in spite of the positive headline figure.

"That unit growth is well below the run rate for new phone launches, signals that the replacement cycle is slowing down," Saunders said. "In essence, we maintain our view that Apple is struggling to persuade many consumers to update their phones."

"No matter how Apple tries to spin it, the iPhone X is essentially an incremental product that lacks the excitement and newness earlier models brought to the market," Saunders said.

But Cook noted that the iPhone 10 was its topseller during the quarter, including in key markets like China, saying "I could not be prouder of the product."

Cook also downplayed talk that the smartphone market lacks significant room for growth, noting tremendous upside still exists in key markets in India and more broadly among the large population that still hasn't bought the gadget.

"I don't buy the view that the market is saturated," Cook said.

- Optimistic on China -

Apple has been seen as vulnerable to in the wake of intensifying rhetoric and threats between Washington and Beijing that have raised worries of a trade war.

Cook downplayed anxiety about a commercial meltdown between the two superpowers, saying the countries have an "unavoidable mutuality" based on economic interdependence.

"I don't know how every blow by blow plays out," he said, but "over time" he expects his "very optimistic" outlook on the long-term relationship would be validated.

Analysts were encouraged by Apple's third-quarter outlook, which included projected revenues of $51.5 billion to $53.5 billion, implying it could top analyst forecasts for $52.0 billion.

Sanctions force Russia to cut defence spending: study

Sanctions force Russia to cut defence spending: study
source: AFP

 AFP/File / OLGA MALTSEVA Russia's military expense last year came in at $66.3 billion (54.9 billion euros), 20 percent lower than in 2016, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said

Russia's military spending fell sharply in 2017 for the first time since 1998 as a slew of Western economic sanctions hit government coffers hard, a closely followed review said Wednesday.

Despite soaring tensions between Moscow and the West, Russia's military expense last year came in at $66.3 billion (54.9 billion euros), 20 percent lower than in 2016, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said.

The last time Moscow was forced to cut spending was in 1998 at the height of a massive economic crisis.

"Military modernisation remains a priority in Russia, but the military budget has been restricted by economic problems that the country has experienced since 2014," senior SIPRI researcher Siemon Wezeman said, referring to Western sanctions imposed against Moscow over its annexation of the Ukraine's Crimea peninsula.

Russia's frosty relations with NATO, which have plummeted to their lowest levels since the Cold War, are also driven by sharp divisions over the Syrian conflict and the recent poisoning of an ex-spy in the UK.

Britain and its Western allies have blamed Moscow for the poisoning of Russian former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter in England on March 4. Moscow has vehemently denied any involvement.

Russia has largely protected its defence budget up to now, imposing cuts in areas such as infrastructure and education, but 2017 was the first time it had no option but to spread the pain, according to Wezeman.

"It's no longer possible to keep defence at a high level or keep it growing," he said.

"For Russia, it means they may have to swallow their pride."

- 'Cause of serious concern'-

All 29 NATO allies, meanwhile, spent $900 billion on the military in 2017, which accounts for 52 percent of total world spending, SIPRI said.

Military spending in both Central and Western Europe rose by 12 and 1.7 percent, respectively, in 2017, triggered "in part by the perception of a growing threat from Russia".

The United States, which remains the world's biggest military spender at $610 billion, spent more on its military than the seven next highest-spending nations -- China, Saudi Arabia, Russia, India, France, the UK and Japan -- combined, SIPRI said.

The independent institute said world military expenditure reached the highest level since the end of the Cold War at $1.739 trillion in 2017.

"Continuing high world military expenditure is a cause of serious concern," SIPRI chair Jan Eliasson said in a statement.

"It undermines the search for peaceful solutions to conflicts around the world."

Zuckerberg unveils plans for Facebook dating service

Zuckerberg unveils plans for Facebook dating service
source: AFP

AFP / JOSH EDELSON Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg unveiled plans for a new dating feature in a speech at Facebook's annual developers conference in California

Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg announced Tuesday the world's largest social network will soon include a new dating feature -- while vowing to make privacy protection its top priority in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal.

Zuckerberg unveiled the plans as he addressed Facebook's annual F8 developers conference in San Jose, California -- emphasizing that the focus would be on helping people find long-term partners.

"This is going to be for building real, long-term relationships, not just hookups," Zuckerberg said in presenting the new feature, noting that one in three marriages in the United States start online -- and that some 200 million Facebook users identify as being single.

Under the new feature, users will be able to create a separate "dating" profile not visible to their network of friends, with potential matches recommended based on dating preferences, points in common and mutual acquaintances.

It will be free of charge, in line with Facebook's core offering. The announcement sent shares in the online dating giant Match.com tumbling, finishing the formal trading day down 22 percent.

The 33-year-old CEO also said the dating offer was built from the ground up with privacy and safety in mind, as he underscored the firm's commitment to boosting privacy protections.

Facebook's closely-watched developer conference comes as the giant faces intense global scrutiny over the mass harvesting of personal data by Cambridge Analytica, a British political consultancy that worked for Donald Trump's 2016 election campaign.

Facebook has admitted up to 87 million users may have had their data hijacked in the scandal, which saw Zuckerberg grilled at length by the US Congress last month.

"We need to make sure that never happens again," Zuckerberg told the audience, lightening the talk by sharing that friends made on online streaming video watch party at the social network of his hours testifying before Congress.

- 'Clear history' -

In a related move, Facebook announced an upcoming feature called "Clear History" that will allow users to see which apps and websites send the network information, delete the data from their account, and prevent Facebook from storing it.

The social network has already moved to limit the amount of data it shares with third-party applications and plans further steps to prevent a repeat of the Cambridge Analytica debacle, Zuckerberg said.

Facebook is also reviewing applications overall as well as auditing those that accessed large amounts of data to make sure access isn't abused, he said.

"Security isn't a problem than you ever fully solve," Zuckerberg said, outlining the slew of efforts by Facebook to battle election interference, misinformation, spam among other challenges.

"This is an arms race; we are going to be working to stay ahead of our adversaries forever."

Zuckerberg's blend of humor, humility, confidence and determination in a keynote presentation seemed to resonate with the gathering of developers, who credited Facebook with taking responsibility for problems and working on fixing them.

"I respect that they came out with it and didn't do a cover-up," said Malik Gillins of Movez, a startup behind an app crafted to streamline social event planning.

CCS Insight analyst Geoff Blaber was among analysts who felt Zuckerberg struck a successful balance between addressing the data privacy scandal and keeping outside developers focused on building apps to enhance the social network.

"Defiant message from Zuckerberg at #F8," Blaber wrote on Twitter. "Feels like the first time they've been on the front foot in this saga."

- Message translation -

Facebook separately announced that its popular Messenger app would soon be able to translate missives in real time, deploying artificial intelligence to enable text conversations between people using different languages.


AFP / Gal ROMA Facebook's quarterly profit, revenue, users and shares


The feature will launch in the United States with English and Spanish translations of conversations in the Marketplace section of Facebook, and will be extended to general Messenger use in coming weeks, the service said in a blog post.

Facebook joins internet giants Amazon, Google and Microsoft in offering artificial-intelligence based translation features -- most prominently Google's Pixel ear buds which promise real-time translation across dozens of languages.

Plans were also revealed to simplify the Messenger app, which critics contend has gotten clunky, and add group voice and video calls to Facebook's other messaging service WhatsApp.

The slew of announcements at the developer-centric "F8" conference also included the arrival of a stand-alone Oculus Go headset to widen support for virtual reality by supporting social experiences such as watch parties.

Pope aide Pell could face two trials over abuse charges

Pope aide Pell could face two trials over abuse charges
source: AFP

AFP / Mal Fairclough The exact details and nature of Cardinal George Pell's alleged offenses remain confidential, other than they involve "multiple charges and multiple complainants", dating from the 1970s and 1990s

Top Pope aide Cardinal George Pell could face two separate trials as he fights to clear his name over historic sexual offence allegations, an Australian court heard Wednesday.

A Melbourne judge on Tuesday ordered the Vatican finance chief, 76, to stand trial on multiple charges, making him the highest-ranked Catholic to face such allegations.

Pell pleaded not guilty, and half of the charges initially filed against him were thrown out.

The exact details and nature of the alleged offenses remain confidential, other than they involve "multiple charges and multiple complainants", dating from the 1970s and 1990s.

Some of the alleged offences were at a swimming pool in the town of Ballarat in Victoria state where Pell was a priest in the 1970s, and a second set of alleged actions were at Melbourne's St Patrick's Cathedral in the 1990s.

At Wednesday's brief directions hearing in the Victoria County Court, Pell's barrister Robert Richter argued that because the charges related to different locations and were 20 years apart, they should be split and heard in two trials.

Another court hearing was set for May 16 when final decisions and trial dates are expected to be set.

Pell, who entered the court surrounded by a police cordon, is on bail and has had his passport confiscated.

The former Sydney and Melbourne archbishop has been on leave from the Vatican, returning to Australia to fight the allegations, the most serious of which have been dismissed due to inconsistencies in the evidence.

Pell was one of the Pope Francis' most trusted aides, handpicked by him in 2014 to make the Church's finances more transparent.

It cemented a meteoric rise by the Australian, who was Archbishop of Melbourne and then Sydney before being named to the Vatican's powerful College of Cardinals at the behest of Pope John Paul II in 2003.

In a brief statement Tuesday, the Vatican said it had "taken note of the decision issued by judicial authorities in Australia" and that Pell would remain on the leave of absence granted by the pope to defend himself.

Kanye West sparks new outrage in calling slavery 'choice'

Kanye West sparks new outrage in calling slavery 'choice'
source: AFP

AFP/File / TIMOTHY A. CLARY Kanye West is one of the few prominent African Americans to support Donald Trump, who built his career by promoting unfounded conspiracy theories about former president Barack Obama's birthplace; Trump and West are pictured here in in 2016

Rapper Kanye West, on the receiving end of criticism in the music world after backing President Donald Trump, sparked fresh outrage Tuesday when he called slavery "a choice."

The rapper, never shy about expressing himself, made the comments in passing during one of two free-flowing interviews he gave as he promotes two upcoming albums.

"You hear about slavery for 400 years. For 400 years? That sounds like a choice," West told TMZ Live, the broadcast wing of the celebrity gossip site.

West elaborated little on his statement but appeared to be drawing a parallel to how he is presumed to hold certain views as an African American artist.

"We're mentally in prison. I like the word 'prison' because slavery is too direct to the idea of blacks. Like Holocaust is Jews, slavery is blacks," West said.

West's remarks immediately sparked an uproar on Twitter, his favorite medium, and he was taken to task live by a TMZ employee who said he was "appalled."

The 40-year-old rapper, designer and husband of reality television star Kim Kardashian re-emerged last month after a year-long absence that followed a purported mental breakdown.

He enraged many fellow artists -- but was embraced by conservative commentators -- as he praised Trump, who has since cited the rapper's words as evidence of minority support.

In a separate interview with radio host Charlamagne tha God, West said he had not followed Trump's policies but, "When I see an outsider infiltrate, I connect with that."

West -- who in 2005 made headlines by saying that then president George W. Bush "doesn't care about black people" -- is one of the few prominent African Americans to support Trump.

The president built his political career by promoting unfounded conspiracy theories about his predecessor Barack Obama's birthplace and has been embroiled in a number of racial controversies since taking office.

Speaking to Charlamagne tha God, West said he was upset that Obama invited other rappers to the White House such as Kendrick Lamar and Jay-Z.

Obama, in off-record small talk with a reporter in 2009 that leaked, called West a "jackass" after the rapper disrupted the MTV Video Music Awards to say that Taylor Swift did not deserve her prize.

"You know, he never called me to apologize," West said, explaining that Obama had met him and his mother before being elected president.

"The same person who sat down with me and my mom, I think should have communicated with me directly."

US Fed decision awaited for clues on interest rate path

US Fed decision awaited for clues on interest rate path
source: AFP

 AFP/File / KAREN BLEIER Chances have increased for the US Federal Reserve to make four increases in 2019, rather than the three previously expected

The Federal Reserve is not expected to change interest rates on Wednesday, but the policy statement will be searched for any hints of how aggressively it plans to address incipient inflation.

After raising the benchmark lending rate in March, the Fed was on track for two more increases, but with prices and wages finally showing signs of rising, markets have become jittery about the prospects of a fourth increase this year.

Futures markets on Tuesday afternoon gave about a 50 percent chance the Fed would raise rates in June, September and December.

And the chances also have increased for the Fed to make four increases in 2019, rather than the three previously expected.

"The big question is what happens next year and from what I can tell, the market's only pricing in maybe one more rate hike for next year," said Kathy Bostjancic of Oxford Economics.

Recent economic statistics offer increasing reason to believe policymakers may feel compelled to move less gradually.

The Fed's preferred inflation gauge, the personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index, hit the central bank's two percent annual target last month for the first time in a year.

And a monthly survey of the manufacturing sector showed prices paid at a seven-year high, spurred by steel and aluminum tariffs the US imposed in March.

Inflation ran ice cold in 2017 despite falling unemployment and steady job creation, baffling economists and the central bank.

But analysts say 2018 is likely to be the year a convergence of factors -- a weak dollar, recovering oil prices, synchronous growth among major economies and trade worries -- finally combine with the tight labor market to light a fire under price pressures.

The Fed announces its decision at 2:00 pm (1800 GMT), and while markets will hang on every nuance of the policy statement, some economist say it may be very cautious and give away little.

"The Fed will do nothing and say little that's new after its meeting today," said Ian Shepherdson of Pantheon Macroeconomics.

And it may be too early to sound the alarm: inflation hit two percent early last year as well, but then retreated.

Joseph Gagnon, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, told AFP he expected inflation to exceed Fed targets unambiguously by year's end.

"I think they'll do their hikes in March, June and September and when December comes around they will say, 'we need to hike,'" he said.

"The real risk is that they might have to react to more inflation next year at some point or the year after and they have to cause a recession basically to stop the inflation."

China prepares tech sector for battle as US trade team arrives

China prepares tech sector for battle as US trade team arrives
source: AFP

 GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP / JUSTIN SULLIVAN Microchips are among China's biggest imports, rivalling oil, and have become a stark reminder of its dependence on US technology

The first salvos in the budding US-China trade conflict struck old-school sectors like steel and agriculture, but Beijing is now bracing for moves against its strategic ambitions in hi-tech.

As a US trade delegation heads to Beijing for talks starting Thursday, China's race to catch up to the United States in technology looms large.

The skirmish is taking place upstream of the consumer applications made by tech giants like Google and Facebook or Alibaba and Tencent, and focusing on semiconductors, the critical building blocks of electronics.

Semiconductors, or computer chips, are the brains of electronic devices, enabling them to run programmes and store memory.

Most are made by US giants such as Intel, Qualcomm and Micron, which have decades of experience developing the integrated circuits, as well as manufacturers in US allies South Korea and Taiwan.

Chips are among China's biggest imports, rivalling oil, and have become a stark reminder of its dependence on American technology.


AFP / Gal ROMA Semiconductor consumption


Last month, Washington banned Chinese telecom and smartphone giant ZTE from purchasing crucial US components for seven years, threatening its survival, as punishment for breaking US export controls.

The US has also reportedly opened a similar probe into another Chinese telecom major, Huawei.

Both companies depend on US chips to build their gadgets and equipment, reinforcing for Beijing the need to control every piece of the technological supply chain.

China must rely on itself for core technologies, President Xi Jinping told scientists when visiting an IT firm last week.

- China can do 'big things' -

"In the past we had no choice but to rely on our own efforts. Back then we even created two atomic bombs and launched a satellite while tightening our belt and gritting our teeth," he said.

China's advantages, he said, include being able to "gather our strength to do big things".

And that is what concerns Washington.

China's marshalling of industrial policy to catch up in semiconductors and other technologies figures prominently in the Trump Administration's findings against Beijing in an investigation that has led to proposed tariffs on tens of billions of dollars in Chinese goods.

The Trade Representative probe looked at Beijing's intellectual property practices and innovation policies, with a subsequent report taking aim at its "Made in China 2025" programme, which is designed to spring China from a maker of sports shoes and denims into high-tech goods.


AFP / Lluis GENE Chinese telecom and smartphone giant ZTE has been banned from purchasing crucial US components for seven years, threatening its survival, as punishment for breaking US export controls

China relies on foreign imports for 80 percent of its chips, which Beijing intends to change.

To get there, central and local governments have sunk roughly $100 billion into building its semiconductor industry since 2014, the US report said.

About $20 billion has been funnelled through the China Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund. After the export ban against ZTE was announced, officials in Beijing confirmed they were mustering investment for a second national fund.

One firm to benefit recently was Hua Hong Semiconductor, a state-controlled company listed in Hong Kong that in January received a major investment from the state chip fund, with which building a $2.5 billion chip factory in the eastern city of Wuxi.

- Long way to go -

Hua Hong benefits from a lower tax rate and said in filings it expects its Wuxi venture to receive plentiful debt financing from Chinese banks, along with land subsidies and help recruiting talent from the city.

The project is just one of the fund's more than 50 investments, with cash pouring into chip designers, new factories, and testing and materials firms across China, according to corporate records.

Before boarding a plane for talks in China, US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross called the plan "frightening", and noted the trade deficit was in part "inspired by evil practices".

Washington has blocked several attempts by Chinese firms to buy up American semiconductor companies.

But even with the large outlays, China remains behind in the semiconductor race, analysts say.

"It will take many, many years for those kinds of investments to make progress," said Cao Cong, an expert in China's science policy at the University of Nottingham's campus in Ningbo, noting state-led efforts may be less effective for semiconductors.

China can direct state-owned enterprises to make purchases of the large aircraft and high-speed trains it builds, Cao said, but the consumer is the end user for semiconductors.

"They don't want to use second-rate technology," he said.

State-led investment can also push funds the wrong way.

A decade ago, Beijing lavished funding on a breakthrough in domestic chip production called the "China chip".

The project came crashing down when a whistleblower alerted authorities that the professor behind the programme was buying imports, etching off their markings and stamping on those of his own company.

109 in custody after Paris May Day violence: police

109 in custody after Paris May Day violence: police
source: AFP

AFP / ALAIN JOCARD Hooded youths had torched a McDonald's restaurant and several vehicles after joining the traditional May 1 union-led rallies for workers' rights

French police said 109 people were in custody on Wednesday after violent May Day protests in Paris, correcting an earlier figure of 209 given by Interior Minister Gerard Collomb.

Hooded youths had torched a McDonald's restaurant and several vehicles after joining the traditional May 1 union-led demonstration for workers' rights.

Collomb, who gave the wrong figure in a television interview, promised to boost policing at future protests after facing accusations that the government had been caught unaware by 1,200 trouble-makers.

"For the next demonstrations there will be even more security forces, this time with the intention of totally separating protesters from those who have come to smash things up," he told France 2 television.

President Emmanuel Macron, on a visit to Sydney, deplored the violence.

"May 1 is Workers' Day, not the day of the hooligans," he told a press conference.

"I can only condemn again what has happened, with the greatest firmness," he said.

Shouting "Rise up, Paris" and "Everyone hates the police", anti-capitalist protesters in black jackets and face masks had tried to hold up the Paris march and then ran amok along the route.

They set fire to a McDonald's restaurant near Austerlitz station, east of the city centre, and torched vehicles at a car dealership.

Macron reiterates need to keep Iran nuclear deal

Macron reiterates need to keep Iran nuclear deal
source: AFP

AFP / LUDOVIC MARIN Emmanuel Macron says he still does not know what decision US President Donald Trump will make on the Iran nuclear deal

French leader Emmanuel Macron reinforced Wednesday his commitment to the Iran nuclear deal, saying no one wants an escalation of tensions in the region, while admitting the accord needed strengthening.

US President Donald Trump is threatening to pull out of the agreement, negotiated in 2015 between Tehran and six world powers, by a May 12 deadline for Washington to renew its support for the deal.

The agreement imposes strict restrictions on Iran's nuclear programme in return for the loosening of economic sanctions.

Macron, who met Trump in Washington last week to try to convince him to not walk away, admitted he still did not know what decision the US leader would take.

"I don't know what the US president will decide on May 12," he said during a two-day visit to Sydney, speaking alongside Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

"I just want to say whatever the decision will be, we will have to prepare such a broader negotiation and a broader deal, because I think nobody wants a war in the region, and nobody wants an escalation in terms of tension in the region."

Trump has pilloried the agreement designed to curb Iran's nuclear programme as "insane" and "ridiculous" and called for fresh measures to counter Iran's ballistic missile programme and support for militant groups across the Middle East.

Macron, who admitted in Sydney that the existing deal was "not sufficient", is pushing for international talks on a potential wider accord.


AFP / Paz PIZZARO The Iranian nuclear agreement


Speaking in English, he said there needed to be three additional "pillars" in the agreement.

"One about the nuclear activity post 2025. Second, in order to have better control and monitoring of the ballistic activity of the Iranian regime.

"Third, in order to have a containment of the Iranian activity in the region, especially Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen."

The current deal gives Iran massive sanctions relief and the guarantee of a civilian nuclear programme in return for limiting enrichment that could produce weapons grade fuel.

On Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had new "proof" of an Iranian nuclear weapons plan that could be activated at any time.

Iran has always denied it sought a nuclear weapon, insisting its atomic programme was for civilian purposes

Macron made no comment on the Israeli claims, only that France was "very much attached to the stability of the region."

"That's why we want to work on this new negotiation in coordination with Germany and the United Kingdom," he said.

"We will work actively in order to convince everybody to have in the coming days, weeks and months such negotiation which is the only way to progress and stabilise the region."

Liverpool ready to stamp out Roman revival to reach Champions League final

Liverpool ready to stamp out Roman revival to reach Champions League final
source: AFP

 AFP / Alberto PIZZOLI Confident smile: Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp addresses the media in Rome

Liverpool will not make the same mistake as Barcelona and underestimate Roma at their fortress Stadio Olimpico, Jurgen Klopp has warned as his side target a place in the Champions League final.

The five-time champions have a 5-2 lead heading into the second leg of a semi-final overshadowed by security concerns and are favourites to reach their eighth final and first since 2007.

But Roma -- who last reached the final in 1984 when they lost on penalties to Liverpool -- have not conceded a goal at home in the Champions League this season.

Eusebio Di Francesco's side beat Chelsea and Barcelona 3-0, with the win over the Spaniards overturning a 4-1 first-leg deficit to put them through to the final four.

Despite conceding two late goals in last week's emphatic first-leg win at Anfield, Klopp knows his side's destiny is in their hands as they bid to seal their place in the May 26 final in Kiev against Real Madrid.

"After the game, people acted as if we lost, but we won 5-2. And after a week people say Roma 'only' need to win 3-0, but that's quite a result," Klopp told a press conference in Rome.

"I'm not here to say anything about Barcelona. In that game, Roma were more than ready.

"Everybody's telling us that it's quite difficult and it's possible but nobody told Barcelona, because nobody imagined it could happen.

"I didn't need a warning but if I did, there it was. We're in a much better situation than I would have thought before the game, that's the truth.

- 'Fight for our dreams' -

"Whatever I say, we still have to play, and I really like that fact.

"We are here to fight for our dreams, that's how it is, and we want to go to the final as you can imagine," the Liverpool boss continued.

"But that means there is a football game to play and I am really looking forward to it because that's what you want. You want to play when it is big stakes for the big things, and that is why we are here. It is a great opportunity."

Di Francesco insisted his side "want to try and do something big in a stadium with 70,000 people".

"The desire to make another miracle happen must push us all to give that extra something."

The safety of fans in the Italian capital has overshadowed the build-up, with 3,000 police officers deployed around the city for the match after a Liverpool fan was attacked by hard-core Roma ultras outside the club's Anfield stadium last week and left in a coma.

Dutch midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum said that the Liverpool squad had been "devastated" to hear about the condition of the fan, Sean Cox.

"It's a game and everybody has to be safe and enjoy it," he said.

Roma's players showed their support for Cox by wearing shirts bearing the words "Forza Sean" (Come on Sean) during a training session on Tuesday, but the atmosphere in the city remains tense.

S. Korea: US troop withdrawal not linked to possible peace treaty

S. Korea: US troop withdrawal not linked to possible peace treaty
source: AFP

AFP / JUNG Yeon-Je South Korean President Moon Jae-in says any peace treaty with North Korea would have no bearing on whether American troops stayed on the peninsula

South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday dismissed claims that US troops stationed in the country would have to leave if a peace treaty was signed with the North.

Seoul and Pyongyang have remained technically at war since the 1950s but Moon and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un agreed at a landmark summit last week to work towards a permanent treaty to replace a 65-year-old armistice agreement.

"US Forces Korea (USFK) is a matter of the South Korea-US alliance. It has nothing to do with signing a peace treaty," Moon said, referring to the agreement that sees 28,500 US forces based in the South.

Moon's comments came after a presidential adviser publicly suggested the presence of US soldiers, sailors and airmen would be called into question if a peace treaty were to be agreed with Pyongyang.

Moon Chung-in had written in Foreign Affairs magazine that it would be "difficult to justify (US forces) continuing presence in South Korea" after the adoption of a peace treaty.

The Blue House -- President Moon's office -- has warned the adviser "not to cause any more confusion," with such comments, spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom said.

The rebuttal came as Seoul's defence ministry confirmed that several US fighter jets had arrived in the country to take part in a regular joint exercises.

The F-22 "Raptor" stealth fighters last came to the South in December when Seoul and Washington staged their largest-ever joint air exercise, days after North Korea test-fired a missile believed to be capable of hitting the US mainland.


AFP/File / Martin BERNETTI South Korea's defence ministry said the deployment was unrelated to a planned summit between North Korea's Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump


Local media reported eight F-22 jets had arrived Sunday at an airbase in the southern city of Gwangju.

The North customarily reacts with anger to the deployment of American stealth fighters, which it fears could be used for surgical strikes against its leadership and strategic facilities.

However, Kim Jong Un has recently shown a more conciliatory attitude, telling Seoul envoy Chung Eui-yong in March that he understood the need for the US-South Korea joint exercises.

The "Max Thunder" drill will kick off on May 11 for two weeks, with the reported participation of 100 aircraft from both countries.

The defence ministry urged news media to refrain from producing "speculative reports" about the move.

That request came after the conservative Chosun Ilbo daily claimed the aircraft deployment could be intended to heap pressure on Pyongyang ahead of a planned summit between Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump.


AFP / Gal ROMA F-22 Raptor

"Max Thunder is a regular exercise that has been on the docket long before a planned US-North Korea summit," the defence ministry said in a statement.

The Panmunjom truce village in the demilitarised zone between North and South, where last week's inter-Korean summit was convened, has emerged as a possible venue for the Kim-Trump meeting.

The Chosun Ilbo daily suggested the arrival of F-22 jets could also be aimed at bolstering security in case the North Korea-US summit takes place at Panmunjom.

Xerox CEO to resign in settlement with top shareholders

Xerox CEO to resign in settlement with top shareholders
source: AFP

 AFP/File / TIMOTHY A. CLARY Judge Barry Ostrager of New York's Supreme Court in Manhattan temporarily blocked the planned takeover of Xerox by Japan's Fujifilm

The CEO of US photocopier and printer maker Xerox is stepping down to end a battle with shareholders opposed to a planned takeover by Japan's Fujifilm.

Major shareholders Darwin Deason and Carl Icahn, who together control 15.2 percent of Xerox's shares, have vigorously opposed the takeover and have filed a suit to block it.

On Friday, a US court ordered a temporary block of the takeover, saying it prioritised the interest of Xerox's CEO over its shareholders.

In a statement issued Tuesday in the US, Xerox said Jeff Jacobson would be replaced John Visentin as CEO, with Keith Cozza taking on his role as board chairman.

Both men are backed by Deason and Icahn.

Under the planned deal, Xerox would be absorbed by an existing joint venture known as Fuji Xerox, falling under the control of Fujifilm.

After the transaction is completed, Fujifilm would hold 50.1 percent of Fuji Xerox, while current Xerox shareholders would receive a special cash dividend of $2.5 billion.

Deason and Icahn sued in February claiming a secret 2001 deal between Xerox and Fujifilm contained a clause that prevented the Xerox board from seeking another buyer, effectively shortchanging the company's shareholders.

Six board members will step down along with Jacobson, and the newly formed board will "meet immediately to, among other things, begin a process to evaluate all strategic alternatives to maximize shareholder value," Xerox said.

It will weigh all options, "including terminating or restructuring Xerox's relationship with Fujifilm and the proposed transaction with Fujifilm," the statement said.

On Wednesday in Japan, Fujifilm said it had "serious concerns" about the resignation of Jacobson and the other board members.

"We believe the combination of Xerox and Fuji Xerox is the best option to provide exceptional value to shareholders of both companies," it said, adding it believed the new board had an "obligation" to uphold the deal.

Fujifilm said it would appeal against Friday's ruling "as we believe the record shows our good faith and arms-length negotiations for the benefit of all shareholders."

Fujifilm shares plunged 5.45 percent to 4,123 yen in Tokyo on Wednesday.

Mueller questions for Trump probe possible obstruction

Mueller questions for Trump probe possible obstruction
source: AFP

 AFP/File / SAUL LOEB, Brendan Smialowski Special Counsel Robert Mueller, left, has submitted questions to the White House that indicate a focus on whether President Donald Trump tried to obstruct a probe into suspected Russian interference in the 2016 US election

The probe into Russia's election interference and alleged links to Donald Trump's campaign has taken a new turn after the publication of questions Special Counsel Robert Mueller seeks to ask the US president, which cover topics including potential obstruction of the investigation.

Donald Trump lashed out Tuesday at the "disgraceful" disclosure of the queries, originally reported by The New York Times, which lay out detailed lines of inquiry by Mueller into whether Trump may have tried to obstruct the Russia probe.

Compiled by the president's lawyers, the questions -- at least four dozen in all -- also show Mueller wants to find out what Trump knew about connections between members of his presidential campaign and Russia. This includes a June 2016 meeting at Trump Tower with a Russian lawyer offering damaging information on election rival Hillary Clinton, the Times said.

"It would seem very hard to obstruct justice for a crime that never happened! Witch Hunt!" Trump shot back in a round of early-morning tweets.

Trump incorrectly claimed there were no questions on the list about collusion, which he dismissed as "a made up, phony crime."

In fact, at least one question directly asks what Trump knew about his campaign aides, including former chairman Paul Manafort, seeking Russia's assistance, according to the Times.

"What knowledge did you have of any outreach by your campaign, including by Paul Manafort, to Russia about potential assistance to the campaign?" reads the question.

The questions also show Mueller wants to know if Trump offered a pardon to his former national security advisor, Michael Flynn, who has already been charged with lying to investigators and is believed to be cooperating with the probe.

But there is no indication Trump is now an official suspect in the year-old investigation, or that Mueller has found evidence Trump colluded with the Russians -- which the president on Tuesday again denied.

The Washington Post, however, reported late Tuesday that Mueller told the president's lawyers in early March that he could issue a subpoena for Trump to appear before a grand jury if he refuses to be interviewed by federal investigators.

The Post said that it was following that conversation that Trump lawyer Jay Sekulow compiled a list of 49 questions that could be addressed to the president -- the list published a day earlier by the Times.

- 'A phony crime' -

"So disgraceful that the questions concerning the Russian Witch Hunt were 'leaked' to the media," Trump said on Twitter.

"Oh, I see...you have a made up, phony crime, Collusion, that never existed, and an investigation begun with illegally leaked classified information. Nice!"

The Times said Mueller's team read the questions over the telephone to Trump's legal team, which compiled them into a list.

The Times said it obtained the list from someone outside Trump's legal team.

Mueller's office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Since at least early this year, Mueller has discussed the possibility of interviewing Trump for the investigation, according to the president's lawyers.

But they appear to have been divided on how and how much Trump should cooperate.

Two weeks ago, Trump recruited to his legal team former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, who said he would try to reach a deal with Mueller on how the president would cooperate with the probe.

Most of the questions reported by the Times ask what Trump knew of certain events, like the June 2016 meeting with the Russian lawyer, or what was he was thinking when he did or said something, like firing former FBI director James Comey.

"When did you become aware of the Trump Tower meeting?" one question asks.

"What efforts were made to reach out to Mr Flynn about seeking immunity or possible pardon?" goes another.

Mueller also wants to know if Trump discussed with any campaign staff arranging a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

While none of the questions is accusatory, they could carry the risk of Trump's being trapped in a lie if any of the former staff already indicted by Mueller have provided evidence to the contrary.

US Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein -- who has direct authority over the Mueller probe -- meanwhile on Tuesday said the Justice Department would not bow to threats after Republicans in Congress prepared documents to remove him.

Trump himself has mulled to aides firing both Rosenstein and Mueller in frustration over the year-old investigation, which has already yielded 19 indictments including three former top Trump campaign officials.

Tens of thousands of Armenians shut down capital in show of defiance

Tens of thousands of Armenians shut down capital in show of defiance
source: AFP

 AFP / Vano SHLAMOV Protesters say they will stay on the streets until opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan is elected prime minister

Tens of thousands of Armenians on Wednesday converged on the capital, blocking key transport links and government buildings, as popular anger exploded over the ruling party's rejection of opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan's premiership bid.

In an unprecedented show of defiance, protesters including many elderly people and housewives paralysed Yerevan, with nearly all streets closed to traffic and numerous stores shut, AFP correspondents reported.

Officials said that suburban train services were disrupted and the road linking Yerevan with its airport was blocked.


AFP / KAREN MINASYAN Armenian opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan has vowed to ramp up pressure on the authorities, after the ruling party rejected his premiership bid


Crowds of protesters across the city of one million people waved national flags, blew vuvuzelas and shouted "Free, independent Armenia!".

Leading supporters on a march through the city, Pashinyan pledged to ramp up pressure on the authorities.

"Various scenarios are under discussion, under each scenario the people will win," said Pashinyan who was wearing his trademark khaki-coloured T-shirt and a baseball cap.

The subway and railroads have been paralysed and a number of universities and schools have joined the protest movement, he added.

In parliament, lawmakers could not convene for a session due to the absence of a quorum, with the Prosperous Armenia party declaring a boycott.

"There is an emergency situation in the country. Our faction declares a political boycott," said Prosperous Armenia lawmaker Vahe Enfiajyan.


AFP / Vano Shlamov Many elderly people and housewives were among the demonstrators in Yerevan

According to legislation, parliament should again gather in a week to try and elect a prime minister. If it fails, the legislature will be dissolved and early elections called.

In the second city of Gyumri -- which hosts a Russian military base -- and the smaller town of Maralik, demonstrators occupied the mayor's offices, demanding the local authorities join the protest movement.

- 'We will win' -


AFP / Sergei GAPON Passengers were forced to leave Yerevan's airport on foot after demonstrators blocked the main road linking it with the capital


Pashinyan urged Armenians to launch a general strike after the ruling Republican Party on Tuesday shot down his bid for prime minister following two weeks of anti-government protests that ousted veteran leader Serzh Sarkisian.

Protesters said they would stay on the streets for as long as it takes to oust the ruling elites from power and get Pashinyan elected premier.

"The people will not give up, protests will not subside," Sergey Konsulyan, a 45-year-old businessman, told AFP.

Student Gayane Amiragyan, 19, added: "We will win because we are united, the whole Armenian people are united."

Parliament voted 45 in favour to 55 against Pashinyan, with the Republican Party headed by Sarkisian saying he was not a suitable candidate for the top job.


AFP / Sophie RAMIS Socio-economic data on Armenia

Pashinyan's failure to get elected has plunged the Moscow-allied nation of 2.9 million people into uncertainty, with observers expressing concern that the turmoil could destabilise the country and the wider region.

Pashinyan has ruled out any possibility of clashes between protesters and police. But the risk of violence has not been lost on politicians in a country locked in a decades-long territorial dispute with Azerbaijan.

Pashinyan -- who was the sole candidate in the running for prime minister -- had been thought to be just a handful of votes short of a majority in parliament and was widely expected to get elected.

- Political U-turn -


 AFP / Vano Shlamov So far the protests have been peaceful but there is mounting concern the political turmoil could destabilise Armenia and the wider region


Ahead of the vote, the Republicans said they would not stand in the way of his candidacy but they withheld their support during Tuesday's vote, excoriating Pashinyan during the nail-biting extraordinary session.

Pashinyan's protest movement had accused Sarkisian and his party of a power grab, saying the former leader wanted to extend his grip on power by becoming premier after serving as president for a decade, despite failing to tackle a litany of problems like corruption and poverty.

Russia had urged compromise while the United States had called for "a resolution that reflects the interests of all Armenians".

Armenia is dependent on Russia economically and militarily.

Armenia has for decades been locked in a bitter row with Azerbaijan over Nagorny Karabakh, a breakaway statelet with an Armenian ethnic majority that is internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan has closely watched the political crisis, with analysts warning Armenia's arch-foe could use the turmoil to its advantage.

One Azerbaijani lawmaker, Gudrat Gasanguliyev, called on Tuesday for a special session of parliament, citing the prospect of "civil war" in Armenia.

Shell Nigeria Postgraduate Research Internship for University Students 2019

The Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) is Nigeria's oldest energy company, and has a long term and continuing commitment to the country, its people and the economy. As one of the world's leading energy companies Shell plays a key role in helping to meet the world's growing energy demand in economically, environmentally and socially responsible ways.

Applications are invited for the program below:

Title: Postgraduate Research Internship for University Students

Duration:12 months (non-renewable).

Description

• The Postgraduate Research Internship programme is aimed at providing opportunities for talented Nigerians, currently enrolled in postgraduate degree in Nigerian universities, to gain work experience and carry out topical research within SPDC.

Discipline Areas

• Environment (Environmental Monitoring, Remediation, and Impact Assessment, Carbon / Energy Management).
• Occupational Health (Industrial Hygiene)
• Social Performance
• Project Management & Strategy Development (Library Science, Marketing and Management)

Application Closing Date
31st May, 2018.

Method of Application
Applications from candidates should consist of:

• An application letter
• A Curriculum Vitae including applicant's contact phone number, email address, as well as contact information of three referees with their contact information
• A titled, 3-page summary of candidate's postgraduate research programme including: study background, technical objectives, methodology/data required, and expected outcome.
• A scanned copy of the data page of applicants International Passport or National Driver's Licence

All documents should be sent to: SPDC-University-Relations@shell.com

Note: Selection will be based on postgraduate programmes/ proposals that are pertinent to SEPCiN business objectives and only students with the highest potential will pass screening.

Shell Nigeria Sabbatical Attachment for University Lecturers 2019

The Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) is Nigeria's oldest energy company, and has a long term and continuing commitment to the country, its people and the economy. As one of the world's leading energy companies Shell plays a key role in helping to meet the world's growing energy demand in economically, environmentally and socially responsible ways.

Applications are invited for the program below:

Title: Sabbatical Attachment for University Lecturers

Duration: 12 months (non renewable)

Job Description

• The sabbatical programme offers University lecturers an opportunity to undertake research that would contribute to SPDC, while offering the sabbatical candidates avenues to acquire industry-related experience.
• The programme also offers opportunities for lectureship at the Centre of Excellence in Geosciences and Petroleum Engineering at the University of Benin in the following disciplines: Petroleum Geology , Geophysics and, Petroleum Engineering.

Discipline Areas

• Environment (Environmental Monitoring Restoration, Biodiversity and Impact Management);
• External Relations (Social Impact Assessment & Management and GMOU Implementation)
• Obstetrics & Gynecology, Pediatrics & Public Health.
• Exploration
• Information and Communications Technology (ICT)

Position Requirements

• Senior lecturers and above.
• Applications from persons who have previously participated in the Programme will not be considered.

Application Closing Date
31st May, 2018.

Method of Application
Applications from candidates should consist of:

• An application letter
• A Curriculum Vitae including applicant's contact phone number, email address, as well as contact information of three referees with their contact information
• A titled, 3-page summary of how the candidate intends to add value to the SPDC business during the one year programme
• A scanned copy of the data page of applicants International Passport or National Driver's Licence

All documents should be sent to: SPDC-University-Relations@shell.com

Note: Sabbatical positions are highly competitive, therefore selection will be based on proposals that are pertinent to SPDC business objectives among other criteria.

Shell Nigeria Recruitment for Commercial Interface Manager - Trading

Shell is a global group of energy and petrochemical companies, operating in more than 70 countries. Our aim is to meet the energy needs of society in ways that are economically, socially and environmentally viable, now and in the future. Our focus on innovation and technology has made us a leading manufacturer, distributor and marketer of refined petroleum products and has us ranked amongst the top 50 most innovative companies in the world.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Commercial Interface Manager - Trading

Auto req ID: 76600BR
Location: Lagos

Job Description    

• The role is expected to provide leadership in identifying and implementing third-party trading opportunities in the region together with optimisation of Group value at the upstream/downstream (trading) interface in Sub-Saharan Africa Third party includes both government and private sector opportunities.
• The incumbent will play an active role in upstream re-structuring developments that have a cross-business impact and will act as the in situ commercial interface between upstream and trading/downstream in the region
• To sustain and grow Crude Trading business in Nigeria, by originating, structuring and closing out crude oil Business Development projects, the individual is expected to have proven high capacity, commercial mind set, sound understanding of trading, related upstream O&G and structured financing apart from excellent interpersonal skills.

Requirements    

• High capacity individuals looking to enter the core trading arena are invited to apply for this role.
• Knowledge of upstream commercial drivers, refinery economics and structured financing along with a sound understanding of the trading business is desirable.
• Experience in trading and/or financing is essential. 
• Strong interpersonal skills are required to forge and maintain relations with internal business units, government entities and private producing and marketing companies alike.
• Strong evidence of high level of intelligence, commercial acumen, consistent delivery, able to grasp new concepts very quickly and highly numerate.
• Relevant Business Development experience along with proven ability to build strong working relationships with key stakeholders and to use this to sell ideas to customers.
• Excellent communication and influencing abilities.
• Ability to challenge the status quo hunger for getting deals done and generating value.
• High sense of ownership and accountability for the deal process

Application Closing Date
31st May, 2018.

Method of Application
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Note

• We occasionally amend or withdraw Shell jobs and reserve the right to do so at any time, including prior to the advertised closing date.
• Before applying, you are advised to read our data protection policy. This policy describes the processing that may be associated with your personal data and informs you that your personal data may be transferred to Royal Dutch/Shell Group companies around the world.
• The Shell Group and its approved recruitment consultants will never ask you for a fee to process or consider your application for a career with Shell. Anyone who demands such a fee is not an authorised Shell representative and you are strongly advised to refuse any such demand.
• Shell is an Equal Opportunity Employer.