Helicopter taxi apps offer escape from traffic-choked megacities

Helicopter taxi apps offer escape from traffic-choked megacities
SOURCE: afp

AFP / ADEK BERRY A chopper-hailing app recently took off in Indonesian capital Jakarta, a chaotic metropolis of over 10 million people

Within minutes of using an app to book a ride, Agostino Fernandes was looking down on lush greenery from a helicopter taxi high above Bangalore -- one of several Uber-style chopper services taking off to help commuters tackle increasingly congested megacities.

In under 30 minutes -- a quarter of the time it would have taken from downtown Bangalore by road -- Fernandes was strolling through Kempegowda International Airport to his gate.

"It's much better than the usual car or taxi because it saves time," he told AFP.

"And for a city like Bangalore, which they call India's green capital because of the parks and gardens, you get a very nice view."

From New York to Jakarta, chopper-hailing services have been taking off to help commuters beat the traffic chaos.


AFP / ADEK BERRY Whitesky Aviation chief executive Denon Prawiraatmadja has ambitious plans to expand the service's current fleet of five helicopters


Private helicopter charters have been available for decades -- at a price -- but the latest services are far cheaper and more accessible to the public, allowing anyone with a smartphone and a credit card to order a ride with relative ease.

Sameer Rehman, Asia-Pacific managing director of Bell Helicopter, said chopper manufacturers were predicting more such services in traffic-clogged parts of Southeast Asia in particular, describing it as an "important testbed" for the wider region.

"That can be replicated throughout other cities and countries in the Asia-Pacific," he told AFP at a conference in Singapore.

Another similar service was recently launched in the Indonesian capital Jakarta, a chaotic metropolis of over 10 million people, which suffers some of the world's worst jams.

Operated by Whitesky Aviation, Helicity now has about 60 customers each month, mostly from the business world.


AFP / ADEK BERRY While the popularity of such services is growing, analysts say there are unlikely to be large numbers of helicopter taxis taking to the skies soon as prices will remain a barrier

Its services include a 20-minute ride from Jakarta airport into the heart of the city for six million rupiah ($430) for up to four people, as well as a 45-minute flight from Jakarta to Bandung, 150 kilometres (90 miles) away, from 14 million rupiah.

While it offers an alternative to sitting in traffic for hours and is cheaper than private charters in the past, the prices are nevertheless out of reach for most people in Jakarta, where the monthly minimum wage is about $250.

And it has not all been easy going for Whitesky in recent times -- one of their helicopters crashed last month on Indonesia's central Sulawesi island as it flew over a mining area, killing one person on the ground and injuring four passengers.

- Onerous regulations, poor infrastructure -

In Bangalore, one of India's most congested megacities, HeliTaxii launched in March, offering a seat in a helicopter from the airport to IT industrial park Electronic City for about $65 per person -- the same journey that Fernandes took on launch day.

In Brazil's Sao Paulo, the app Voom offers a 30-kilometre helicopter ride to the airport for about $150 -- 10 times cheaper than private charters in the past -- while in New York, a chopper-hailing service ferries people between downtown and surrounding airports.


AFP / ADEK BERRY But in traffic-choked cities such as Jakarta, the apps promise to help wealthier commuters beat the jams


Despite the growth of such apps, industry players warn there are still major hurdles.

One is finding suitable take-off and landing sites, particularly in Asian cities. Helipads have been springing up rapidly in recent years but a large number are private and observers warn many have not been certified as safe by aviation authorities.

Another is restrictions on flying times. Whitesky Aviation chief executive Denon Prawiraatmadja said that since the Jakarta service's five-strong fleet of choppers was for civilian purposes, they were currently only allowed to fly between 6:00 am and 6:00 pm.

"We are in the process of getting more operating hours, so it can become a 24/7 operation," he told AFP. "We hope this type of new regulation will allow us to grow the business."

The company has big expansion plans: in 2016, they signed a 30-helicopter deal with Bell and will receive two Bell 505s every year until the deal is completed. It also has several fixed-wing aircraft in its fleet.

Similarly in Bangalore, Helitaxii is only allowed to fly from 6:30am to 10:00am, and in a later slot between 3:00pm to 6:00pm.

While the popularity of such services is growing, analysts say there are unlikely to be large numbers of helicopter taxis taking to the skies soon as prices -- although lower than they once were -- will remain a barrier.

Saj Ahmad, chief analyst at consultancy StrategicAero Research, also cautioned there was much uncertainty surrounding the nascent industry and how it would operate.

"Will there be further security screenings?" he said. "What sort of passengers will be allowed on these flights?"

China's Alibaba buys Pakistan e-commerce firm Daraz

China's Alibaba buys Pakistan e-commerce firm Daraz
source: AFP

AFP/File / Peter PARKS Alibaba added 98 million active consumers over the year ended March 31

Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba said Wednesday it had purchased leading Pakistani online retailer Daraz, continuing its overseas expansion by gaining a foothold in the growing South Asian consumer market.

The move came after Alibaba announced in March a doubling of its investment in Southeast Asian e-commerce firm Lazada.

China is seeking closer economic ties with Asian neighbours including Pakistan through its Belt and Road initiative, a strategy to increase trade links that is led primarily by infrastructure projects.

Daraz, founded in 2012, was purchased from Rocket Internet, a Berlin-based incubator of online startups.

Its key markets are Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Nepal, claiming 30,000 sellers and 500 brands on its platform, according to a statement by Alibaba.

Products available on Daraz include consumer electronics, household goods, beauty, fashion, sports equipment and groceries, it said.

Daraz said the acquisition would help further growth in its main markets, adding that they were home to 460 million people, 60 percent of whom were under the age of 35.

Alibaba CEO Jack Ma has also been investing in research into advanced technologies such as driverless cars and artificial intelligence.

The New York-listed firm added 98 million active consumers over the year ended March 31, to a total of 552 million using its e-commerce marketplaces.

China quake survivors relive trauma for tourists in city ruins

China quake survivors relive trauma for tourists in city ruins
source: AFP

 AFP / Johannes EISELE The ruins of Xuankou Middle School still stand, 10 years after a huge quake that levelled swathes of Sichuan province, killing tens of thousands of people

For almost a decade, Chen Guoxing has devoted himself to preserving a city of ghostly ruins in southwest China, a massive open air memorial to tens of thousands killed in a devastating earthquake -- including his son.

The 54-year-old government official is in charge of maintaining the broken buildings of Beichuan, a small city that has been frozen in time since May 12, 2008, when the 7.9-magnitude earthquake left 87,000 people dead or missing across Sichuan province.

As China prepares for Saturday's 10-year anniversary of the disaster, Chen's team of around 200 carry out the physically and emotionally draining work of preserving the wreckage, in which an estimated 20,000 bodies may be entombed.

Twenty guides relive their trauma for over 2.2 million tourists a year, shepherding them down the eerily quiet streets and through the rubble of their lives.

Many more work to protect the remaining structures and piles of debris from the assault of time and the elements, hoping to preserve the ruins as a reminder of life's fleeting nature.

- 'The sky had fallen' -

Along Beichuan's streets, buildings lean at weird angles, many held up by metal girders and struts.


AFP / Johannes EISELE Nature is gradually reclaiming the homes that were destroyed by the 2008 quake, despite efforts to preserve Beichuan as a living monument to those who were killed


Tourists, walking down the buckled asphalt, stop to peer into piles of rubble and through windows into the chaos of abandoned apartments, pointing out an infant's knitted slipper, the weathered skin of a basketball.

Visitors are barred from entering the structures because of safety concerns.

But Chen led AFP reporters into a former teacher's dormitory, where a thick layer of dust covered hundreds of books spread in mouldering piles on the floor.

The building was a time capsule: many of the residents died in the disaster, Chen said, and family members had largely decided not to reclaim their possessions.

A mass grave on the city's east side is home to 3,000 dead.

There were too many bodies, and not enough time, to give each a proper burial.


AFP / AFP 2008 Sichuan quake

Based on census figures, officials estimate another 20,000 people remain entombed in the ruins: Chen's son -- who died when his middle school collapsed -- is among them.

Most were lost among the mud slides and deeply piled rubble. Rescuers feared disinterring the remains would spread disease.

Tourists and family members burn incense to honour the dead.

Chen was working in a nearby village when the earthquake struck. He was trapped.

"We had no communication with the outside world," he said, as he surveyed Beichuan's ruins.

More than 10 days later, he heard on the radio that his son had died.

"It was like the sky had fallen," he said.


AFP / Johannes EISELE Around 20,000 bodies are thought to be entombed in the mud and rubble left behind by the 2008 earthquake


One hundred days after the quake, he caught a ride back to Beichuan on a military helicopter.

He had lost eight relatives.

"I never saw my son's body," he said.

"There was no time... our main responsibility was the rescue work."

- A new city -

Since the earthquake, tourism has become the region's largest industry, Chen said, with restaurants and hotels cashing in on the daily caravans of tour buses.


AFP / Johannes EISELE A thick layer of dust cakes the abandoned classroom that stands as a monument to those who lost their lives in the 2008 earthquake

Visitors tour the ruins -- there are no fees for entrance or guides -- and a nearby memorial hall, before heading to new Beichuan, a bustling city of wide avenues and abundant green space built from the ground up, 30 kilometres away.

Chen, along with many of Beichuan's original residents moved there in the years after the earthquake, purchasing homes in neat apartment complexes built with government assistance.

The city and its residents are largely dependent on tourism dollars, although speciality crops, such as cherries, have become an important business.

Some locals complain that visitor numbers have declined in recent years, fretting about how they will survive in 10 or 20 years, when interest in the disaster inevitably wanes.

Standing in the nearby town of Yingxiu in front of a sculpture of a giant clock showing the earthquake's time and date, a 25-year-old guide, surnamed Ma, expressed concern about the region's future.


 AFP / Johannes EISELE Guides shepherd tourists around the ruins of their destroyed town in the hope of explaining the tragedy of a natural disaster that left tens of thousands of people dead


She and her coworkers spend their days standing on the highway, vying to flag down tourists on the way to the site.

She would prefer not to be a guide but her family could not afford to send her to high school and this was the best job she could find.

"We can't just rely on tourism to support ourselves," she said, as she showed visitors the ruins of her former middle school -- a memorial to the dead, including her former classmates.

- What's important -

In addition to the emotional challenges, Beichuan's preservation efforts have faced financial and technical obstacles.


 AFP / Johannes EISELE Abandoned everyday items bear powerful testimony to the lives extinguished by the powerful 2008 quake

The project is the largest of its kind, Chen said, and the city spends over 20 million yuan ($3.1 million) a year on its upkeep.

"The main difficulty we're facing is a financial problem," he said, adding that rain, wind and corrosion could eventually lead to the complete collapse of many of the site's buildings.

Despite the difficulties, visitors' reactions make the effort all worthwhile, tour guide Wang Huarong, 33, said.

"Once they've seen the ruins of the old city, their thinking changes," she said.

"They realise the things that they thought were especially important before aren't that important."

"As long as you can be together with your family, that's happiness."

Australia keen on Iniesta as a marquee star

Australia keen on Iniesta as a marquee star
source: AFP

AFP/File / Josep LAGO Spain's Sport website named the A-League as Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta's "preferred destination", although Japan's Vissel Kobe is also seen as one of his possible next moves

Australian football chiefs plan to contact the agent of Barcelona captain Andres Iniesta to sound him out about a move to the A-League, reports said Wednesday, as the domestic competition looks to recruit a marquee star.

Spain's Sport website named the A-League as the World Cup-winner's "preferred destination" this week, although Japan's Vissel Kobe is also seen as one of his possible next moves.

China's Chongqing Lifan Tuesday denied reports that the 33-year-old legend will be joining them "as a player", but left the door open to future cooperation in some capacity.

Football Federation Australia's website indicated the governing body planned to contact Iniesta's agent after he announced he will leave Barcelona at the end of the season following two decades of phenomenal success.

A-League boss Greg O'Rourke said four Australian clubs have signalled their intent to make use of a recently announced Aus$3 million (US$2.2 million) 'marquee fund', which could be used to lure a player of Iniesta's calibre.

"We will determine with (the clubs) how this is going to work -- do we go out and use $3 million to go and hook one big fish, or three small ones?" he told reporters.

"There's some history that would say that (Alessandro) Del Piero, when he was here with (Emile) Heskey and Shinji Ono was actually quite amplifying."

The A-League most recently had a centralised "guest marquee" fund in 2016, but it attracted only one player, Tim Cahill, whose stint at Melbourne City did not pull in the crowds and boost TV ratings as hoped.

O'Rourke said if a move for Iniesta was unsuccessful, other targets would be drawn up.

Google pitches artificial intelligence to help unplug

Google pitches artificial intelligence to help unplug
source: AFP




GETTY/AFP / JUSTIN SULLIVAN Google CEO Sundar Pichai delivers the keynote address at the Google I/O 2018 Conference at Shoreline Amphitheater on May 8, 2018 in Mountain View, California

Google unveiled Tuesday an artificial intelligence tool capable of handling routine tasks -- such as making restaurant bookings -- as a way to help people disconnect from their smartphone screens.

Kicking off the tech giant's annual developers conference, Google chief executive Sundar Pichai argued that its AI-powered digital assistant had the potential to free people from everyday chores.

Pichai played a recording of the Google Assistant independently calling a hair salon and a restaurant to make bookings -- interacting with staff who evidently didn't realize they were dealing with artificial intelligence software, rather than a real customer.

Tell the Google Assistant to book a table for four at 6:00 pm, it tends to the phone call in a human-sounding voice complete with "ums" and "likes," and sends you a message with the details.

"Our vision for our assistant is to help you get things done," Pichai told the conference in Google's hometown of Mountain View, California.

"It turns out that a big part of getting things done is making a phone call."

Google will be testing the digital assistant improvement in the months ahead.

"Many of us feel tethered to our phones and worry about what we'll miss if we're not connected. We want to help people find the right balance and gain a sense of digital wellbeing," Pichai said.

- Getting things right -

The conference opened with Silicon Valley facing a wave of criticism over issues such as private data protection, the spread of misinformation and the use of tech platforms for hate speech and violence, and with intense scrutiny of Facebook over the hijacking of data on millions of its users.

"It's clear that technology can be a positive force and improve the quality of life for billions of people around the world." Pichai said.

"But it's equally clear that we can't just be wide-eyed about what we create."

He added that "we feel a deep sense of responsibility to get this right."

Much of the focus was on Google Assistant, the artificial intelligence application competing against Amazon's Alexa and others.

Pichai launched an overhaul Google News venue that put AI to work finding trusted sources for stories and balancing perspectives to provide fuller pictures of breaking developments.

"It uses artificial intelligence to bring forward the best of human intelligence - great reporting done by journalists around the globe - and will help you stay on top of what’s important to you," Pichai said of overhauled Google News.

And, evidently popping news 'bubbles' created by tailoring results to what people want to hear, everyone will be shown the same content on topics, according to product and engineering lead Trystan Upstill.

Google Assistant is also being taught to better understand people and interact with them more naturally -- and will be getting new voices, including one based on the voice of singer John Legend, as well as programming to improve conversation performance.

"Thanks to our progress in language understanding, you'll soon be able to have a natural back-and-forth conversation with the Google Assistant without repeating 'Hey Google' for each follow-up request," Pichai said.

- More 'shush' time -

In another effort to untether people from smartphone screens, a dashboard breaks down time spent on devices and how often they are unlocked.

Google also planned to add a "shush" mode to its Android mobile software, switching smartphones to a do-not-disturb mode when they are placed face down on a table.

YouTube watchers will be able to set a pop-up message to remind them to take breaks from viewing, according to Pichai.

"This is going to be a deep, ongoing effort across all our platforms," Pichai said.

"To help you understand habits, focus on what matters, switch off and wind down."

Google is seeking to make services more personal, relevant and intimate from maps to email, Gartner analyst Brian Blau told AFP after the keynote presentation.

"The are taking a very human approach to technology, and convincing you people can continue to rely on Google," Blau said.

"We have seen, as a central theme, trust."

New York auction sets new Monet, Matisse records

New York auction sets new Monet, Matisse records
SOURCE: afp

AFP/File / HECTOR RETAMAL "Nympheas en fleur" by Claude Monet, part of the impressionist's famed water-lily series, fetched $84.69 million setting a new auction record for the artist, Christie's said

The sale of the art collection amassed by the late banker David Rockefeller kicked off Tuesday, setting new auction records for French artists Claude Monet and Henri Matisse, Christie's said.

Monet's "Nympheas en fleur," part of the impressionist's famed water-lily series inspired by his Giverny home, fetched $84.69 million at the evening sale in New York, the auction house said.

The previous record for the Frenchman had been $81.4 million, set by Christie's in 2016 for "Meule" from Monet's famous grainstack series.

Tuesday's sale also set a new auction record for Henri Matisse, with his 1923 "Odalisque couchee aux magnolias" selling for $80.75 million, Christie's said. The previous Matisse record was $49 million.

But the top lot of the night was Picasso's 1905 masterpiece "Fillette a la corbeille fleurie" ("Young Girl With a Flower Basket") which sold for $115 million, over its pre-sale value of $100 million.

Its original purchase by Gertrude and Leon Stein, together with two other Rose Period paintings, helped jumpstart Pablo Picasso's career. The Rockefellers purchased the canvas in December 1968.

Christie's is selling off 1,600 items from the glittering collection of Rockefeller, the billionaire who died last year aged 101, and his wife Peggy.

The three-day sale is expected to rake in $600 million and smash the previous record for a collection set by that of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Berge, which fetched $484 million in 2009.

It sees Christie's for the first time spread its flagship spring sales over two weeks, twice the traditional length.

The May 2018 season is expected to break new records, six months after Christie's sold a Leonardo da Vinci for $450.3 million, more than doubling the world record for any work of art bought at auction.

Picasso's "The Women of Algiers (Version O)" previously sold for $179.4 million at Christie's in New York in May 2015.

Pompeo in Pyongyang as diplomatic dance speeds up

Pompeo in Pyongyang as diplomatic dance speeds up
source: AFP

AFP/File / Brendan Smialowski US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was dispatched to Pyongyang on an unannounced visit, his second in weeks, but first as secretary of state, to lay the groundwork for Donald Trump's unprecedented meeting with Kim Jong Un

America's top diplomat Mike Pompeo arrived in Pyongyang Wednesday, landing at the centre of a whirlwind of diplomacy ahead of a planned US-North Korea summit.

Pompeo was dispatched on an unannounced visit -- his second in weeks, but first as secretary of state -- to lay the groundwork for Donald Trump's unprecedented meeting with Kim Jong Un.

His visit comes as rumours fly over three US citizens being held in the North, with suggestions they may have been moved in preparation for a release.

The rapid detente on the Korean peninsula triggered by the Winter Olympics is a marked contrast from last year, when Kim and Trump traded personal insults and threats of war over the North's nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.

"We think relationships are building with North Korea," Trump said in a televised address from the White House. "We will see how it all works out. Maybe it won't. But it can be a great thing for North Korea, South Korea and the entire world."

But the details of a deal appear to be far from clear.

At a historic meeting inside the Demilitarized Zone last month, Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in reaffirmed their commitment to a "common goal" of "complete denuclearisation" of the Korean peninsula.

Hours before Pompeo landed, Trump yanked the US from a nuclear deal with Iran, complicating the prospects of persuading Pyongyang to surrender its atomic arsenal.

- 'Chairman Un' -

On Tuesday, Kim met Chinese President Xi Jinping in China -- the second time in six weeks -- highlighting efforts by the Cold War-era allies to mend frayed ties, and with Beijing keen to avoid being left out in the cold.


AFP/File / Mike Pompeo met Kim Jong Un on his last visit to Pyongyang, before he was confirmed as secretary of state


China's official Xinhua news agency cited Kim as telling Xi there was no need for North Korea to be a nuclear state "as long as relevant parties abolish their hostile policies and remove security threats against" the country.

Kim also expressed hope that the US and North Korea would take "phased and synchronous measures", signalling Pyongyang wanted a quid pro quo.

Pompeo's itinerary -- including who he would meet in Pyongyang -- was not clear.

He told reporters he would look to prepare for the summit between Trump and "Chairman Un", prompting derision from observers.

"Pompeo doesn’t know the surname is Kim, but he's definitely on top of all the conceptual and semantic nuances associated with the phrase 'denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula'," arms control specialist Jeffrey Lewis tweeted derisively.


 AFP / Mike Pompeo

Trump's withdrawal of the US from the landmark deal curbing Iran's nuclear programme and reimposing crippling sanctions -- in defiance of European pleas -- also raised concerns.

Trump poured scorn on the "disastrous" 2015 accord, reached after a decade and a half of careful diplomacy by Britain, China, France, Germany, Iran, Russia and past US administrations, describing it as an "embarrassment" to the United States.

"This just makes my head explode," said Robert Kelly of Pusan National University. "Only a fool would trust the US to keep its word in a rogue state nuke deal now."

- Detained trio -

Speculation mounted that Pyongyang could release three detained Korean-Americans to Pompeo, fuelled by South Korea where the president's office said they expected the men to be freed.

The trio are a significant domestic political issue and Trump hinted last week of imminent news after sources said they had been relocated. In previous cases detainees have been set free into the care of high profile US visitors.

Pompeo's visit also comes as a tripartite meeting of East Asia's major powers takes place in Tokyo, with Japan, South Korea and China groping for a lowest-common-denominator agreement on recent events.


POOL/AFP / KIM KYUNG-HOON Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was likely to push for continued pressure on Pyongyang at a trilateral summit with South Korea's President Moon Jae-in and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang


Japan, which has by far the most hardline position of the North's neighbours, has been left watching from the sidelines, uneasy at the pace of events and at what it sees as an unwarranted softening towards an untrustworthy Pyongyang.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was likely to push for continued pressure on Pyongyang, including for "complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation", Japanese media have reported.

Moon, however, was expected to bat away such demands.

An official in his office last week said Seoul wanted the three countries to simply endorse the Panmunjon Declaration signed by Kim and Moon last month.

Russia shows off military hardware in Red Square parade

Russia shows off military hardware in Red Square parade
source: AFP

AFP / Yuri KADOBNOV Russian Su-25 aircraft trail the colours of the national flag over Red Square to mark the anniversary of victory over Nazi Germany in 1945

Russia rolled out its latest military hardware on Moscow's Red Square on Wednesday for the annual parade to mark Soviet victory over Nazi Germany as President Vladimir Putin begins his fourth Kremlin term.

"Our people fought to the death. Not one country faced such an invasion," Putin said in a speech as veterans and some 13,000 troops marched past in a perfectly choreographed military spectacle marking 73 years since victory in World War II.

Much of the new military equipment on display has been tested out in Syria, the defence ministry said. Altogether the parade featured 159 types of hardware including 75 aircraft.

For the first time, the parade included drones, which were wheeled across the square on trailers, as well as a de-mining robot used by the military in Syria's Palmyra and Aleppo and an unmanned tank. There was even a snowmobile to be used by Arctic units.

The major new equipment on display included a Terminator tank designed to be used in war zones involving nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction, and a MiG-31 supersonic interceptor jet carrying a high-precision Kinzhal (Dagger) missile.

Putin presented the Kinzhal missile system in March during his state of nation address, saying it could "overcome all existing and, I think, prospective air and missile defence systems."

A pair of SU-57 stealth fighter planes, a fifth generation jet reportedly tested in Syria, also took part in the flypast.

- 'Rewriting history' -


POOL/AFP / MAXIM SHIPENKOV Russian President Vladimir Putin addresses the Victory Day military parade in Moscow's Red Square on the anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945


"This is a holiday which has always been, is now, and always will be sacred for every family," Putin said, greeting a watching crowd including veterans decked out in medals on a bright sunny morning.

Around 1.6 million people recognised as World War II veterans are still alive in Russia, the labour ministry said.

Putin poured scorn on those, who he said, are trying to "rewrite history" and downplay the Soviet Union's role in overcoming the Nazis.

"Today people are trying to erase the feat of our people in saving Europe from slavery, from extinction, from the horrors of the Holocaust," Putin warned, saying they are trying to "forge, rewrite and misinterpret the events of the war."

"We won't ever let them do this."

He watched the parade alongside Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, with whom he was set to hold a meeting later Wednesday, as well as Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. The national leaders later took part in a ceremony with Putin at the Memorial to the Unknown Soldier by the Kremlin walls.

Hollywood action star Steven Seagal was also watching from the stands, after attending Putin's inauguration on Monday.

Referring directly to the current political situation, Putin warned against a repeat of World War II, saying that "behind new threats are the same ugly traits: egotism, intolerance, aggressive nationalism and claims to be unique."

"Russia is open to dialogue on all questions of ensuring global security" and is "ready for constructive, equal partnership," he said in a speech that concluded with shouts of "Hurrah!" from the assembled forces.

Marking one of the most heartfelt national holidays in Russia, thousands across the country were set to take part in marches through city centres holding up photographs of their relatives who fought in World War II, a new tradition that has taken root as the number of living veterans has dwindled.

Netanyahu heads for Putin talks after Trump pullout from Iran deal

Netanyahu heads for Putin talks after Trump pullout from Iran deal
source: AFP

 AFP / THOMAS COEX Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivers a televised speech on May 8, 2018 after US President Donald Trump announced his decision to withdraw from the Iranian nuclear deal

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu headed to Moscow on Wednesday for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, hours after US President Donald Trump announced he would pull out of the Iran nuclear deal.

Netanyahu and Putin have held a series of meetings and phone conversations in recent months, mainly over Syria and the involvement there of Israel's arch-rival Iran.

"The meetings between us are always important and this one is especially so," Netanyahu said before departing.

"In light of what is currently happening in Syria, it is necessary to ensure the continued coordination between the Russian military and (that of Israel)."

Russia's foreign ministry said it was "deeply disappointed" by Trump's announcement on Tuesday that the United States would pull out of the Iran deal, while Netanyahu strongly supported the US president's "bold" move.

Netanyahu has long opposed the nuclear deal between world powers and Tehran.

Separately, Israel is deeply concerned over Iran's presence in Syria, where Tehran, like Moscow, backs President Bashar al-Assad's regime.

Russia and Israel have set up a hotline to avoid accidental clashes in Syria.

Netanyahu has vowed not to allow Iran to entrench itself militarily in neighbouring Syria, where Israel has been repeatedly accused of carrying out deadly strikes, with reports of Iranian forces killed.

Israel has not acknowledged those strikes, but admits carrying out dozens of raids in Syria to stop what it says are deliveries of advanced arms to the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia, another of its enemies.

There have been fears in Israel of Iranian retaliation.

Just prior to Trump's speech on Tuesday, the Israeli army asked authorities in the occupied Golan Heights to open and prepare missile shelters due to "irregular activity by Iranian forces" over the demarcation line in Syria.

Iran pullout a blow to N. Korea hopes: analysts

Iran pullout a blow to N. Korea hopes: analysts
source: AFP

KCNA via KNS/AFP/File / STR Donald Trump is set to hold a much-anticipated and unprecedented summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in the coming weeks

President Donald Trump's withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal is a major setback to US negotiating credibility and will complicate efforts to reach an agreement with Pyongyang over its own more advanced weapons programme, analysts say.

Trump is set to hold a much-anticipated and unprecedented summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in the coming weeks to negotiate over Pyongyang's arsenal, after it last year carried out by far its most powerful nuclear test to date and launched missiles capable of reaching the US mainland.

But the US president Tuesday pulled Washington out of the 2015 accord with Teheran, pouring scorn on the "disastrous" agreement and describing it an "embarrassment" to the United States -- although European signatories and the IAEA say Iran has complied with its obligations.

Antony Blinken, who was deputy secretary of state under Barack Obama, said the White House move "makes getting to yes with North Korea that much more challenging".

"Why would Kim ... believe any commitments President Trump makes when he arbitrarily tears up an agreement with which the other party is complying?" he asked on Twitter.

MIT political science professor Vipin Narang added: "Today is a stark reminder across the world: Deals are reversible and can have expiration dates, while nuclear weapons can offer lifetime insurance."

North Korea remains technically at war after the 1950-53 Korean War ended with a ceasefire rather than an armistice, and Pyongyang has long insisted that it needs nuclear weapons to defend itself from a possible US invasion.

Two weeks ago Trump's new national security advisor John Bolton said "We have very much in mind the Libya model," for the denuclearisation of North Korea.


 KCNA VIA KNS/AFP/File / STR Pyongyang regularly cites the fates of Libyan dictator Moamer Kadhafi and Saddam Hussein in Iraq as evidence of the need for nuclear arms


Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi agreed to abandon his pursuit of nuclear weapons in the early 2000s, but his government was later overthrown by rebel forces supported by Western air strikes, and he was killed.

Pyongyang regularly cites the fates of Kadhafi and Saddam Hussein in Iraq -- whose government was overthrown in a US-led invasion -- as evidence of the need for nuclear arms.

Former CIA director John Brennan said Trump's "madness" had "undermined global confidence in US commitments, alienated our closest allies, strengthened Iranian hawks, & gave North Korea more reason to keep its nukes".

Some were more sanguine.

Pyongyang was concerned about the sustainability of a deal and sees democratic changes of government as a "structural weakness that imperils agreements by any one White House", said Yonsei University professor John Delury.

But he added: "They'd be worried less about Trump pulling out of a deal than his successor."

- Security guarantee -

The unilateral nature of Trump's move is also likely to worry officials at the Blue House in Seoul.

The decision was made despite repeated personal pleas by European leaders and cast aside more than a decade and a half of careful diplomacy by Britain, China, France, Germany, Iran, Russia and past US administrations.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in has been widely praised for seizing the opportunity presented by the Winter Olympics to broker talks between Trump and Kim - two leaders who were at loggerheads just months before, and threatening to wage a war which would inevitably devastate the South.

But the fate of the Iran deal suggests Trump could also dismiss pleas from Seoul -- a treaty ally -- in future.


KCNA VIA KNS/AFP / KCNA VIA KNS Kim Jong Un met President Xi Jinping this week for the second time in just over a month

Analysts pointed to Kim's repeated trips to China as evidence Pyongyang was looking for support from its longstanding diplomatic protector and provider of trade and aid.

Kim met President Xi Jinping this week for the second time in little more than a month, after not paying his respects to him for six years after taking power as their relationship frayed.

"North Korea has been fully aware of the risks of the US walking away from any deal whenever its government changes hands," said Koh Yu-hwan of Dongguk University told AFP.

"In order to hedge against this eventuality, Kim Jong Un met Xi Jinping twice to obtain a firmer security guarantee from China before he enters a deal with the US."

And Pyongyang wanted wider assurances, he added.

According to China's official Xinhua news agency, Kim told Xi that "relevant parties" should "abolish their hostile policies and remove security threats against the DPRK"."This means the North is seeking a global commitment to a deal with the US to prevent the US from unilaterally rolling it back," Koh told AFP

Racing chief hails Australian doping scandal verdicts

Racing chief hails Australian doping scandal verdicts
source: AFP

AFP / PAUL CROCK The guilty verdicts followed a major investigation.

Australian racing chiefs have hailed a court ruling that found five trainers and three stablehands guilty of doping offences in a major scandal involving more than 100 races over several years.

In one of Australia's biggest horse-racing controversies, high-profile trainer Robert Smerdon was among those found guilty of an unprecedented 271 breaches of race-day rules between 2010-17.

Most of the offences related to dosing horses with a banned mixture of sodium bicarbonate, or baking soda, before top races, which helps reduce the build-up of lactic acid, allowing them to run for longer.

Racing Appeals and Disciplinary Board chairman Judge John Bowman said at a hearing in Melbourne's County Court on Tuesday that it was "probably the biggest scandal and the most widespread investigation in the history of Australian racing".

"This was a long-running systematic conspiracy to try and obtain an unfair advantage in well over a hundred races over seven years," it said.

"There has been dishonest, corrupt or fraudulent, improper or dishonourable actions of the highest order."

It found Smerdon and stablehand Greg Nelligan were the driving force behind the scam, with all those involved having links to the Aquanita Racing stable.

It followed a four-month investigation by Racing Victoria stewards.

Racing Victoria chief executive Giles Thompson said in a statement that it "sends a very strong signal to anyone who thinks they can undermine the integrity of the sport by actively breaching the rules of racing".

"It also is a ringing endorsement of the investigative work of our integrity services team who found these breaches and ran an exhaustive four-month investigation before laying charges against these eight people," he added.

"We are committed to ensuring that the very small minority who seek to breach the rules of racing and undermine our sport are found, investigated and ultimately prosecuted. That is what our participants, our customers and the wider public expect us to do."

Sentencing is expected on Thursday, with the main culprits facing life bans.

Malaysia's scandal-hit PM faces ex-mentor, 92, in election

Malaysia's scandal-hit PM faces ex-mentor, 92, in election
source: AFP

AFP / MOHD RASFAN Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak is seeking to retain power at the head of a regime that has ruled Malaysia since independence in 1957

Malaysia was counting votes Wednesday after one of the country's fiercest ever election battles which has pitted scandal-hit Prime Minister Najib Razak against his one-time mentor, 92-year-old former authoritarian leader Mahathir Mohamad.

Najib is seeking to retain power at the head of a regime that has ruled Malaysia since independence in 1957, but veteran ex-leader Mahathir's shock comeback has upended the election race.

Angered by a massive financial scandal that has tarnished Malaysia's international image, Mahathir has teamed up with an alliance of parties that opposed him when he was in power, and which includes jailed opposition icon Anwar Ibrahim -- his former nemesis.

Najib's ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition is seen as likely to retain power mainly due to an electoral system critics say has been heavily manipulated to favour the government, but analysts predict it will lose the popular vote for the second consecutive election.


AFP / Jewel SAMAD "I am confident of winning," ex-PM Mahathir Mohamad told reporters. "I feel very good, I am confident unless Najib cheats."


Results started trickling in a few hours after polls closed, with BN having a slight early lead with 14 seats to nine for the opposition, according to the Election Commission.

But some key BN figures appeared to have fallen, with unofficial results on Bernama state news agency showing the heads of the ethnic Indian and Chinese parties in the coalition had lost their seats.

Earlier, voters flocked in large numbers to polling stations throughout the day, leading to hours-long queues in many places and prompting complaints from voters and opposition leaders about people potentially missing out on voting.

Before polls closed, Mahathir said he was worried voters may not get the chance to cast their ballots.


AFP / Manan VATSYAYANA Voters flocked in large numbers to polling stations throughout the day, leading to hours-long queues in many places

"I have received reports from voting centres that many voters are gathered outside polling stations and that the process was moving quite slowly," he said.

"I hope (people) will be given the right to vote."

Election officials were yet to disclose the final turnout, although analysts said it could be lower than at the 2013 election, when it was 85 percent. This would be a blow to the opposition who have said they need a high turnout.

- Dirty tricks -

There were other complaints of dirty tricks at the poll, with both opposition leaders and senior BN members claiming that their phones had been jammed by a flood of spam calls to stop them from communicating with their teams.

The internet regulator blamed the attacks on "bots" (automated programmes) and said it would investigate.

The race has been fiercely contested, and the opposition alliance has gained ground in recent weeks as Mahathir, who ruled with an iron fist for 22 years, chipped away at the government's key support base, the Muslim Malay majority.



AFP / Gal ROMA The race is expected to be tight


Earlier Mahathir cast his ballot alongside his wife in the northern city of Alor Setar, and said he was confident of victory.

Najib, a political blue blood and son of Malaysia's second prime minister, voted in his constituency of Pekan.

"The most important thing is for people to decide on the destiny of this nation, and it must be based on facts," the 64-year-old told reporters.

Najib is under pressure to score an emphatic win after the government lost the popular vote for the first time at the last elections in 2013. Observers say his position as prime minister could be under threat if he does not do well.

The controversy surrounding state fund 1MDB has dogged Najib since the story exploded in 2015. Billions of dollars were allegedly stolen from the fund, which was set up and overseen by Najib. The leader and 1MDB deny any wrongdoing.

But in rural areas, the rising cost of living, which has hit poor Malays hard, has been the main concern particularly after the introduction of an unpopular sales tax in 2015.

While the opposition has gained ground, it faces an uphill battle to defeat a coalition that has never lost an election.

Critics have accused the BN of gerrymandering with a redrawing of electoral boundaries that created constituencies more likely to back them, while activists have alleged numerous irregularities in the electoral roll.

The opposition has been targeted by authorities during the campaign, with police launching a probe into Mahathir for allegedly breaking a controversial new law against "fake news" after he claimed a plane he chartered was sabotaged.

UK urges US not to 'hinder' Iran nuclear deal work

UK urges US not to 'hinder' Iran nuclear deal work
source: AFP


PRU/AFP / HO Britain's Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said the country had "no intention of walking away" from the Iran nuclear deal

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson urged the United States on Wednesday not to undermine the Iran nuclear deal it has just ditched and said Washington should "spell out" its plans for what comes next.

"I urge the US to avoid taking any action that would hinder other parties from continuing to make the agreement work," Johnson told parliament, adding that Britain had "no intention of walking away" from the deal, which remained "vital" to its national security.

"For as long as Britain abides by the agreement... then Britain will remain a party to the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action," he said.

"It's now up to Washington to come up with concrete proposals."

European leaders and key trading power China have vowed to save the 2015 accord, which lifted sanctions on Iran in return for it halting an alleged nuclear weapons programme and allowing international inspections.

They have also vowed to protect companies operating in the country after President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that as a result of pulling out of the deal the US would reinstate severe sanctions against Tehran.

Trump's national security advisor John Bolton said European firms doing business in Iran now have a six-month deadline to wind up investments or risk American sanctions.

"We will do our utmost to protect UK commercial interests," Johnson told lawmakers when pressed on the potential impact on British firms dealing with Tehran.

The foreign secretary said Britain was aware "Iran is up to all sorts of bad behaviour in the region" but that they were not in violation of the JCPOA.

He added America must now provide fuller details of how it plans to proceed outside the framework.

"It falls to the US administration to spell out their view of the way head," said Johnson, who visited Washington earlier this week and failed to convince Trump to remain inside the nuclear deal.

"President Trump said himself last night that he is committed to finding a new solution and we should hold him to his word," he added.

"We have yet to see the detail of how he intends to do it, but we will certainly be as supportive as we can."

Questioned by several lawmakers on whether the US was considering a military solution to the issue, Johnson insisted "there is no such plan".

"After closely interrogating everybody I could find in the White House, there is no enthusiasm for a military option in the United States," he added.

Prime Minister Theresa May earlier told parliament: "We accept that there are other issues in relation to the behaviour of Iran in the region.

"Those are issues that need to be addressed and we are working with our European and other allies to do just that," she said.

Johnson told lawmakers he expected to meet with EU diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini next week to discuss the bloc's next steps on Iran.

European businesses in firing line of Iran sanctions

European businesses in firing line of Iran sanctions
source: AFP


AFP / PASCAL PAVANI Airbus and other big European companies need to figure out how to deal with new US sanctions against Iran

European businesses have the most to lose from renewed US sanctions against Iran, analysts said Wednesday, with massive sums at stake for some of the continent's big names.

A day after President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of a landmark deal curbing Iran's nuclear programme and reimposed crippling sanctions, EU governments promised they would shield their companies doing business with Tehran.

European officials will "do everything" possible to protect their interests, an official in the French presidency said.

America has, however, a long reach when it comes to forcing foreign companies to comply with its sanctions regime, analysts said, as some big European banks have learned the hard way.

US sanctions policy is based on the extra-territoriality of American laws, meaning Washington also punishes foreign companies doing deals with Iran if they also have business with the US, or use dollars in their transactions.

- Can't hide from policeman -

European companies with interests in the United States "find it is impossible to hide from the world's policeman" said Jacques Hogard, who runs an international consulting firm.

"You can try to circumvent sanctions, but not if you're a big company," he told AFP.

Washington has given companies between 90 and 180 days to phase out existing contracts with Iran and banned them from signing any new ones, under threat of sanctions.

And that threat is far from empty.

France's biggest bank, BNP Paribas, was fined $8.9 billion in 2014 for breaking sanctions against Iran and other countries.


AFP / Philippe HUGUEN France's biggest bank was hit with a mega fine for dealing with regimes under US sanctions


The following year, Deutsche Bank paid $258 million in US fines for doing business with Iran and Syria pursuing, according to US regulators, a "lucrative" US dollar business for sanctioned customers.

Europeans were eager to renew business ties with Iran after the July 2015 landmark deal which opened up the prospect of winning market share in the country of 80 million desperate for investment and consumer goods.

Airbus, Siemens, Total, PSA and Fincantieri were among the multinationals launching investments in Iran, although the Islamic Republic's problems with financing its wish list kept a lid on enthusiasm.

- EU's Iran business tripled -

The European Union's trade with Iran nearly tripled in under three years, growing from 7.7 billion euros ($9.14 billion) in 2015 to 21 billion euros in 2017.

Germany alone exported three billion euros worth of goods to Iran in 2017, Italy 1.7 billion and France 1.5 billion.

Now that business drive risks stalling.

Talking directly to Washington to soften the Trump administration's stance may be the wisest course of action, some companies say.

French energy giant Total, which has agreed to invest $5 billion in Iran together with Chian's CNPC to develop the South Pars oil field, said last month it would seek an exemption from any new sanctions.

For now corporate bosses are completely in the dark as to whether the sanctions regime will be watered down in this, or any other, way.


AFP / SAUL LOEB Giving corporate Europe quite the headache

The only certainty seems to be that the US decision "does not target what is already in place", said Mahasti Razavi, a lawyer with the August Debouzy firm.

But what happens to companies who continue to deal with Iran still needs to be clarified, she said.

Which is why many take a cautious stance.

"We are carefully analysing this announcement and will evaluate the next steps in accordance with our internal policies and with complete observance of the sanctions and the export control rules," said a spokesman for European aircraft maker Airbus which has announced contracts with Iranian airlines for a total of 100 planes.

- Clarity, please -

Aerospace companies had been perhaps the biggest beneficiary of the Iran nuclear accord, which recognised the need for Iran to modernise its aircraft fleet.

Emma Marcegaglia, head of employers association BusinessEurope, said European companies needed "legal clarity" and were counting on the EU and its member states to assist companies.

French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said he hoped to meet with US Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin by the end of the week to discuss ways to soften the blow.

Nations vow to save Iran nuclear deal after US pullout

Nations vow to save Iran nuclear deal after US pullout

source: AFP

 AFP / SAUL LOEB US President Donald Trump signed a document reinstating sanctions against Iran on May 8

World powers vowed Wednesday to uphold a landmark deal curbing Iran's nuclear programme after President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of the agreement, raising fears of a fresh confrontation with Tehran.

Trump's decision to ditch the accord and reimpose sanctions on the Islamic republic risks overturning years of painstaking diplomacy, worsening instability in the Middle East and threatens foreign companies' business in Iran worth billions of dollars.

"The risks of confrontation are real," warned France's Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, adding that Europe would act to "avoid the explosion (of conflict) that risks happening if... no measures are taken."

Iran reacted furiously to Trump's decision, with lawmakers burning a US flag and chanting "Death to America" in the Iranian parliament. But its regional rivals Saudi Arabia and Israel applauded the US move.

- Protecting business in Iran -

Trump's advisor John Bolton said earlier that European firms doing business in Iran have a six-month deadline to wind up investments or risk US sanctions.

European governments are going "to do everything to protect the interests" of their companies, said an official in the French presidency, who asked not to be named.


Iranian Supreme Leader's Website/AFP/File / HO Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Iran too would quit the nuclear deal unless Europeans offered solid guarantees that trade relations would continue


But Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Iran too should quit the nuclear deal unless Europeans offer solid guarantees that trade relations would continue.

"If you don't succeed in obtaining a definitive guarantee -- and I really doubt that you can -- at that moment, we cannot continue like this," he told Iran's government in a televised speech.

China said it will maintain "normal economic and trade exchanges" with Iran despite Trump's decision.

Beijing will "remain in dialogue with all parties and continue to devote itself to safeguard and implement the deal," a spokesman said.

Britain, a signatory to the 2015 deal, said it remained committed, with Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson urging Washington "to avoid taking action that would hinder other parties from continuing to make the agreement work."

- Iran 'upholding commitments' -

Slapping aside more than a decade and a half of diplomacy by Britain, China, France, Germany, Iran, Russia and past US administrations, Trump called Tuesday for a "new and lasting deal".

He described the accord as an "embarrassment" to the United States that did nothing to contain Iran's nuclear ambitions.

But the UN's nuclear watchdog, which is charged with ensuring Iran abides by the terms of the deal, said Wednesday Tehran was upholding its "nuclear-related commitments".

"Iran is subject to the world's most robust nuclear verification regime," said International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) director-general Yukiya Amano.

The French, British and German foreign ministers will meet Iranian representatives on Monday, Le Drian told RTL radio.


POOL/AFP / Etienne LAURENT French President Emmanuel Macron planned to speak with his Iranian counterpart about preserving the nuclear agreement

French President Emmanuel Macron was also to speak with his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani by telephone on Wednesday afternoon about "our wish to stay in the agreement," Le Drian said.

- 'Bomb threat' -

Trump said a deal with Iran would have to include not just deeper restrictions on its nuclear programme, but on its ballistic missiles and support for militant groups across the Middle East.

"We will not allow a regime that chants 'Death to America' to gain access to the most deadly weapons on Earth," he said.

"If the regime continues its nuclear aspirations, it will have bigger problems than it has ever had before."

In response, Rouhani warned Iran could resume uranium enrichment "without limit".

But he also said Iran would discuss its response with other parties to the deal before announcing a decision.


AFP / AFP Behind the historic 2015 Iran nuclear deal


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

- Blow for Europe -


 IRANIAN PRESIDENCY/AFP/File / HO President Hassan Rouhani said Iran could resume uranium enrichment "without limit" in response to Trump's announcement

Trump's decision marked a stark diplomatic defeat for Europe, whose leaders begged the US leader to think again.

Bolton insisted that cooperation with Europe on Iran was not over.

The US will "work with the Europeans and others not only on the nuclear issue but on Iran's ballistic missile development, its continuing support for terrorism and its military activities that jeopardise our friends," he told Fox News.

- 'Bold decision' -


AFP / SAUL LOEB The decision on Iran fulfilled one of Trump's long-standing campaign promises


Oil prices on Wednesday hit their highest levels for three and a half years.

The move offers Trump a domestic victory, fulfilling a longstanding campaign promise.

But the long-term impact for US foreign policy and for the Middle East was less clear.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the United States will "lose in the end" from its decision, which Ankara has warned could provoke "new conflicts" in the region.

Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his country's "deep concern" over the US withdrawal.

Middle East specialist Denis Bauchard of the French international relations institute IFRI told AFP Trump's move aimed "to cause the fall of a regime that he considers a threat to the security of the United States and Israel."

Some analysts warned the move would also complicate US efforts to reach an agreement with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un over his country's own more advanced weapons programme.

Former CIA director John Brennan said Trump's move "gave North Korea more reason to keep its nukes".

North Korea frees three US detainees ahead of Trump summit

North Korea frees three US detainees ahead of Trump summit
source: AFP
KCNA VIA KNS/AFP/File / KCNA Kim Dong-chul, a South Korea-born American businessman, is one of three US citizens who were detained in North Korea

North Korea has freed three American detainees, President Donald Trump announced Wednesday, hailing a diplomatic victory ahead of a planned summit with Kim Jong Un.

Pyongyang granted the three men "amnesty," a US official said, and they are now on their way back to the United States with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

Two of the men, agricultural expert Kim Hak-song and former professor Tony Kim were arrested in 2017, while Kim Dong-chul, a South Korea-born American businessman and pastor in his 60s, was sentenced to 10 years' hard labor in 2016.

"I am pleased to inform you that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is in the air and on his way back from North Korea with the 3 wonderful gentlemen that everyone is looking so forward to meeting. They seem to be in good health," Trump tweeted.

The White House said all three men were able to walk unassisted onto a US Air Force plane that carried them and the secretary of state out of North Korea.

A second plane, with more robust medical equipment, waited for them at Yokota Air Force Base, just outside Tokyo.


 AFP/File / YURI GRIPAS US President Donald Trump, pictured earlier this month, says a time, date and location have been decided for his historic summit with Kim Jong Un


"All indications are their health is as good as could be given they been through," said Pompeo.

The family of Tony Kim voiced their gratitude to "all of those who have worked toward and contributed to his return home" -- and specifically thanking Trump for "engaging directly with North Korea."

"Mostly, we thank God for Tony's safe return," the family said in a statement. "We ask that you continue to pray for the people of North Korea and for the release of all who are still being held."

Trump meanwhile described the release as "a gesture of good will" and said he would be on hand when Pompeo's three "guests" land at Andrews Air Force Base outside Washington at 2:00 am (0600 GMT) Thursday.

Trump acolytes declared the release an unbridled political victory, evidence, Vice President Mike Pence said, that "strong leadership and our America First policies are paying dividends."

The men's release appears to pave the way for a much-anticipated summit between Trump and North Korean leader Kim, scheduled to take place within weeks.

- Summit details to follow -

Trump says a time, date and location have been decided for that historic summit, although US officials say there are still some details to be worked out.

Pompeo told reporters the administration would "in the next handful of days be able to announce date and time."

Possible locations include Singapore and the Demilitarized Zone that separates North and South Korea.


AFP/File / SAUL LOEB US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is to land with the three former detainees at Andrews Air Force Base outside Washington in the early hours of Thursday

The meeting will discuss North Korea's nuclear and ballistic weapons program, which may soon give Pyongyang the capability of striking the continental United States.

Trump has demanded that North Korea give up its nukes, while Kim has offered few indications about what he is willing to concede or what he will demand in return.

North Korea has often insisted that the United States withdraw support for South Korea, where 30,000-plus US military personnel are stationed.

Since coming to office Trump has embarked on a campaign of "maximum pressure" on the North Korean regime.

A series of provocative North Korean missile tests have been met with US sanctions and a tougher Chinese stance on cross border trade.

Officials in Washington believe the punitive economic measures have prompted fuel shortages in North Korea and increased tension inside the regime.

North Korea official Kim Yong Chul, who met Pompeo in Pyongyang, insisted the country's openness to talks was "not the result of sanctions that have been imposed from outside," but a change in regime focus."We have perfected our nuclear capability. It is our policy to concentrate all efforts into economic progress in country," he said

Shell To Sell Stake In Canadian Natural For About $3.3B

Shell To Sell Stake In Canadian Natural For About $3.3B

by Reuters
|


Shell's Shell Gas B.V. unit will sell its entire stake in Canadian Natural Resources Ltd for $3.3 billion.

May 7 (Reuters) - Royal Dutch Shell Plc's Shell Gas B.V. unit said on Monday it was selling its entire stake in Canadian Natural Resources Ltd for $3.3 billion.

Shell signed an underwriting agreement for the sale of its entire stake of 97.6 million shares in Canadian Natural, the company said in a statement.

Last June, Shell had reported a stake of 8 percent in Canadian Natural.

Shell decided to offload the roughly C$4.1 billion ($3.18 billion) stake in Canadian Natural Resources that it acquired as part of a deal to retreat from Canada's oil sands, people familiar with the situation had told Reuters nearly a year ago.

The deal between the two companies was earlier reported by the Globe and Mail.

The underwriting group includes Goldman Sachs & Co, RBC Capital Markets, Scotiabank and TD Securities.

($1 = 1.2888 Canadian dollars) (Reporting by Mekhla Raina in Bengaluru Editing by Chris Reese and Leslie Adler)

UKCS Production Efficiency Rises for Fifth Straight Year

UKCS Production Efficiency Rises for Fifth Straight Year

by  Andreas Exarheas

Production efficiency in the UK Continental Shelf rises to 74% in 2017.

Production efficiency (PE) in the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS) has risen for a fifth consecutive year, increasing to 74 percent in 2017, the UK’s Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) has revealed.

The rise in production efficiency is estimated to have contributed to an additional 11.8 million barrels of oil equivalent during 2017, according to the OGA.

“This is very welcome and deserved progress. Industry is sustaining efficiency improvements and seeing the rewards of their hard work in maximizing economic recovery,” OGA Director of Operations, Gunther Newcombe, said in an organization statement.

“The OGA will continue to support all operators in their efforts to further increase PE, through the OGA's tiered reviews and the work of MER UK Asset Stewardship Task Force and Production Efficiency Task Force,” he added.

The MER UK Asset Stewardship Task Force, which identified PE as a key performance indicator for industry, has established a target of an average of 80 percent PE to be achieved by end of 2018. PE stood at over 76 percent in 2008.

Since 2012, UKCS PE has hit the following rates:
2012, 60 percent
2013, 64 percent
2014, 65 percent
2015, 71 percent
2016, 73 percent
2017, 74 percent

Morocco Gas Discovery 'Significantly Exceeds' Pre-Drill Estimates

Morocco Gas Discovery 'Significantly Exceeds' Pre-Drill Estimates


A conventional natural gas discovery at the LMS-1 exploration well on the Lalla Mimouna permit in Morocco has 'significantly exceeded' expectations.

North Africa focused oil and gas company, SDX Energy Inc, has made a conventional natural gas discovery at its LMS-1 exploration well on the Lalla Mimouna permit in Morocco.

LMS-1 was drilled to a total depth of 3,799 feet and encountered 54 feet of net conventional gas pay sands. The well is now being completed as a conventional natural gas producer and will be perforated and tested approximately 30 days after the drilling rig has left the site.

“We are very pleased with the results of this exploration well as it has significantly exceeded our pre-drill estimates for both reservoir quality and pay sand thickness,” Paul Welch, president and CEO of SDX, said in a company statement.

“Once the rig has departed the location we will conduct an extensive test of this well. Given the deeper source rock, the heavier gas elements and fluorescence seen in the cuttings we are anticipating production of condensate during the test which could add some significant value to the production established in this area,” he added.

The latest discovery on Lalla Mimouna follows SDX’s previous conventional natural gas find on the permit, which was announced on April 20. This discovery was made at the company’s LNB-1 well, which was drilled to a total depth of 6,105 feet and encountered 984 feet of gas bearing horizons.

In a brief research note sent to Rigzone, oil and gas analysts at Cantor Fitzgerald Europe said they were “greatly encouraged” by the two discoveries at Lalla Mimouna, which have “opened up two new plays in the Lafkarena and H-9 intervals”.

“These have the potential to add significant future upside beyond that previously anticipated at Lalla Mimouna and could ultimately be transformational in terms of the potential from the permit,” the analysts said.

EIA: US Crude Output To Hit 12 MMBpd In Late 2019

EIA: US Crude Output To Hit 12 MMBpd In Late 2019



US crude oil production is expected to rise more than previously expected to 12 million barrels per day by the fourth quarter of 2019.


NEW YORK, May 8 (Reuters) - U.S. crude oil production is expected to rise more than previously expected to 12 million barrels per day by the fourth quarter of 2019, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said on Tuesday in a monthly report.

The agency forecast that U.S. crude oil output will rise by 1.14 million barrels per day (bpd) to 11.86 million bpd on average next year, according to the short term energy outlook. Last month, it expected a 750,00-bpd year-over-year increase to 11.44 million bpd. Overall, the agency's forecast has increased by more than 1 million bpd since January.

The forecast projects that U.S. crude output could reach 12 million bpd by the fourth quarter of 2019, nearly 500,000 bpd above previous estimates for production in that quarter.

The agency lifted its 2018 production estimate to 10.72 million bpd, expecting growth of 1.37 million bpd, according to the report.

U.S. crude output has surged since 2010, fueled by output from formations in states including Texas, New Mexico and North Dakota. This year, it has surpassed a previous long-standing output record.

At the same time, the agency left its projections for U.S. oil demand in 2018 unchanged at 20.38 million bpd and slightly lowered its 2019 forecast to 20.64 million bpd from 20.70 million bpd previously.

The crude market on Tuesday was gripped by reports on U.S. President Donald Trump's nuclear plans, so any reaction to the data was muted.

The report also suggested high crude prices will pressure retail gasoline prices upward, to just below $3 a gallon during the summer driving season. (Reporting By Jessica Resnick-Ault Editing by Marguerita Choy