Job Vacancy For Financial Planning Manager (Financial Reporting) at MTN Nigeria

MTN Nigeria - The leader in telecommunications in Nigeria, and a part of a diverse community in Africa and the Middle East, our brand is instantly recognisable. It is through our compelling brand that we are able to attract the right talents who we carefully nurture by continuously improving our employment offerings even beyond reward and recognition.

We are recruiting to fill the vacant position below:

Job Title: General Manager, IS Governance & Compliance

Loaction: Lagos

Job Description

• Responsible for IT Regulatory Compliance, IT Audit Governance and IT Governance support.
• Oversee and be accountable to drive the mechanism for process controlling and continuous process improvement in IT.
• Responsible for supporting management with its responsibilities in responding to requests from internal and external audit entities including reviewing requests, monitoring audit execution and reviewing findings with governance bodies.
• Regularly monitor and review resources of the department ensuring they are allocated, utilized in a cost effective and financially disciplined manner and in line with budget provisions.
• Review MTNN corporate direction and develop Information Services Governance landscape ensuring alignment with MTN corporate strategic objectives and develop plans to support business initiatives and enhance IS infrastructure support capacity.
• Provide support initiatives that will ensure cost savings and reduction to drive EBITDA growth for the organization. (OPEX/COS savings).
• Champion the review of Business Processes (headcount, process optimisation, business optimisation, continuous service improvement etc.), to drive efficiency gains to ensure at least 5% reduction in Divisional budget year-on-year.
• Monitor changes in regulations and technology that may affect revenue assurance functions in MTNN and ensure revenue leakage is minimized.
• Improve MTNN’s Net Promoters Score
• Develop strategies, champion customer centric culture across the organization and develop/reform relationships with MTNN’s internal and external customers to transform the MTNN’s revenue.
• Drive planned strategy for the successful delivery of MTN Group and MTNN transformation initiatives focusing on Customer centricity, including Perfect 10 Project.
• Ensure the right service management practices are in place to create the enabler for IT systems to provide a differentiated customer experience.
• Provide primary support for yearly SOX/ PWC IT audit exam for Ratings IT Operations
• Further institutionalize segregation of duties control across Ratings IT applications
• Define opportunities for automation of monitoring IT controls
• Track action plans to complete, monitor and report on IT risk and IT control related activities
• Manage a portfolio of activities related to planning and executing the IT control assessment activities
• Create and maintain governance structure for processes and ensure processes and policies are developed, documented and maintained in accordance with established set /industry guidelines and benchmarks.
• To ensure all IT systems uptime and ensure that adequate capacity, availability to drive expected Customer Experience
• Provide leadership on IT Architecture governance and ensuring compliance to King III technology risk management. Measures of success include repository architecture accuracy, appropriate and timely reporting on Technology governance.
• Be accountable to drive the IT Governance using implementation mechanism for process controlling and continuous process improvement with focus on the definition and further development of guidelines, standards and metrics (KPIs), including compliance.
• Also responsible for ensuring that the aims of Disaster Recovery and Service Continuity are met and that the IT continuity strategy processes, and plans and procedures are developed and maintained.
• Ensure QA standards are met and report on compliance (including performance against QA Management plan, business KPIs and client KPQPs & SLAs).
• Ensure global coverage of the Service Transition function as well as enable the control monitoring function for regular review and reports of operating controls around our applications and infrastructure.
• Ensure that Operational controls meet regulatory and audit requirements as well as align to industry best practices including IT Sarbanes Oxley.
• Defining and maintenance of IT maturity model, quality management system and regular evaluation of IT maturity
• Ensures effective IT Risk management, Compliance & Audit
• Develop and implement processes and procedures for tracking company assets to oversee quality control throughout their lifecycles.
• Lead and collaborate with other business units in the development of business models for use in MTNN and develop measurement strategies to support ongoing strategy development and project optimization.
• Definition of global IT processes, process goals/ quality objectives and derivation of key figures (for example IT process indicators (KPI) for process optimization)
• Ensure processes follow the agreed standards and accountable for reporting of process quality and compliance
• Definition, coordination and implementation of the overall concept for the quality and process management (quality policy, manual)
• Measure and identify optimal potential in terms of continuous improvement process as well as initiation and support of optimization measures
• Accountable for ensuring the preparation and conduction of IT process audits.
• Providing advice on IT methods, IT tools, IT process optimization and general IT process management
• Responsible for supporting management with its responsibilities in responding to requests from internal and external audit entities including reviewing requests, monitoring audit execution and reviewing findings with governance bodies.
• Define and implement Key Performance Indicators and Metrics for support and operational activities and use these metrics to drive service delivery excellence
• Continuously seek self-professional development to sharpen skills and capabilities in a versatile and evolving digital landscape.
• Provide leadership and direction leading team to deliver on respective business targets and improve overall performance of the department.
• Providing opportunities for staff to build on the company’s investment in their training and improve productivity.
• Coach and mentor the IS team to ensure understanding of the objectives and goals of the department, awareness of all related job requirements and accountabilities and leverage human resources career development programs for staff career development.
• Deliver business value through partnership with MTNN’s Ecosystem Partners to customers to enhance MTN’s Corporate Brand
• Promote the Governance vision and institute a customer centric culture and interface between IS, its stakeholders and the rest of the organisation

Job Condition:

• Normal MTNN working conditions
• May be required to work extended hours
• Local and International travel

Experience & Training
Education:

• First Degree in any related field
• Fluent in English and language of country preferable
• MBA/MSC is advantageous
• Relevant IT Degree/Professional qualification,
• CISA/CISM/CGEIT Certified
• TOGAF Certified
• ISO/PCI-DSS /COBIT Certified
• ITIL Certified

Experience:

• 12 years’ experience which includes:
• Senior management track record of minimum 6 years; with at least 5 years in relevant sector/ industry as per relevant role
• Experience working in a global/multinational enterprise (understanding emerging markets advantageous)
• Worked across diverse cultures and geographies
• Senior management experience in strategy formulation, technology forecasting, enterprise architecture, network economics, project management, operations management, strategic planning and quality control management.
• Proven experience in Compliance frameworks such as SOX will be advantageous.
• Ability to design, evaluate and document processes and lead teams in accomplishing process review and improvement.
• Experience in Audit, and possess an understanding of key Technology general controls and risk mitigation procedures is preferred
• Experience in the following areas: technology, project management; process management, IT audit and quality control
• Understanding of regu

Minimum Qualification

• BA, B.Eng, B.Sc or B.Tech

Application Closing Date
1st August, 2018.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Job Vacancy For Planner - Material Resource at MTN Nigeria

MTN Nigeria - The leader in telecommunications in Nigeria, and a part of a diverse community in Africa and the Middle East, our brand is instantly recognisable. It is through our compelling brand that we are able to attract the right talents who we carefully nurture by continuously improving our employment offerings even beyond reward and recognition.

We are recruiting to fill the vacant position below:

Job Title: Planner - Material Resource

Location: Nigeria

Job Description

• Planner, Material Resource is part of the Planning & Forecasting team at the Opco and will support the demand fulfillment and planning process.
• Planner, Material Resource will use Material Requirements Planning (MRP) techniques with demand and inventory data to calculate requirements for materials.  The role collaborates with the demand planning team in creating purchase requisitions, make stock re-order recommendations and reschedule open orders aligned to delivery dates.
• Planner, Material Resource would support the Manager, Planning & Forecasting and would be involved in the demand fulfillment process. These processes would involve interactions with Opco and Centers of Excellence (CoE)
• Update Bill of Material (BOM) based on the requirements
• Prepare schedule of purchase for the required material and share with Buyer
• Participate and provide inputs in operational meetings
• Set up and manage ad hoc meetings for day to day operational requirements
• Timely notification of escalations to the Manager
• Resolve escalations as per defined escalation/resolution procedures
• Participate and provide inputs on project status meetings
• Propose operational changes and provide associated user impact assessment
• Ensure effective execution of day to day operations and at the Opco and resolve operational issues
• Improve productivity and quality through leading practice initiatives
• Initiate request for creation of BOM in case it is not available
• Identify the components of product to be updated in BOM
• Perform material requirement planning on a periodic basis considering the demand and inventory level
• Assist Manager, Planning & Forecasting in defining minimum-maximum stock replenishment
• Calculate the reorder point, min-max levels, safety stock and bin level
• Monitor stock level and calculate the requirements
• Supervise individual team members performance
• Allocate daily work to team members and ensure appropriate planning for back-up and leave/absenteeism
• Ensure cohesive working
• Accountable for meeting and prioritising own targets/ deadlines and those of direct reportees
• Provide information to the Manager on work accomplishments and individual / team challenges
• Lead team meetings and contribute on specialist/ technical areas
• Review performance metric dashboards on various performance metrics and provide inputs to the Manager
• Perform Quality Assurance (QA) to check adherence to supplier and customer contract/ agreement related terms and conditions
• Liaise with SCM and CoE with regards to local demand planning requirements
• Provide inputs to the Manager (as required) relating to progress made within the sub-division and in accordance with the measurement metrics set by the organization
• Continuously seek self-professional development to sharpen skills and capabilities in a versatile and evolving digital landscape.
• Foster active collaboration and relationships with employees across all levels and divisions in line with MTN’s VB and values

Job Condition:

• Normal MTNN working conditions
• May be required to work extended hours
• Open plan office

Experience & Training
Education:

• First  degree in Supply Chain Management or any related discipline
• Fluent in English
• CSCP (Certified Supply Chain Professional)
• Experience:
• Minimum of 3 years’ experience in an area of specialisation; with experience working with others
• Experience working in a medium  organization

Training:

• Any training specific to Supply Chain Management will be an added advantage

Minimum Qualification

• BA, BEd, BSc or HND.

Application Closing Date
1st August, 2018.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Job Vacancy For Accountant, Financial Operations (Supervisory) at MTN Nigeria

MTN Nigeria - The leader in telecommunications in Nigeria, and a part of a diverse community in Africa and the Middle East, our brand is instantly recognisable. It is through our compelling brand that we are able to attract the right talents who we carefully nurture by continuously improving our employment offerings even beyond reward and recognition.

We are recruiting to fill the vacant position below:

Job Title: Accountant, Financial Operations (Supervisory)

Location: Nigeria
   
Job Description

• To account for all company-wide Financial Operations activities (Fixed Assets, Revenue Management, Expenditure Operations, Business Support and General Ledger), support various divisions on financial issues and maintain commercial relationships with external stakeholders.
• Review relevant general ledger accounts (Income statement and Balance Sheet), the Age analysis of Balance Sheet accounts, relevant general ledger/sub- ledger accounts, reconciliation of weekly and monthly performance reports, relevant schedules and reports for accuracy and completeness in line with set accounting standards.
• Review and approve journal vouchers and other financial transactions for posting in ERP system.
• Supervise the implementation of finance policies, processes and procedures and ensure strict adherence to established internal controls, MTN PPP’s, IFRS, IAS and GAAP.
• Work with Financial Operations Manager to prepare departmental budgets and provide support in daily unit administrative activities in line with the strategic objectives.
• Provide input into relevant management and board papers, review supporting documents/back up schedules to meet audit and regulatory requirements as well as analyse/interpret data to facilitate decision-making.
• Ensure efficient optimisation of databases/systems and prompt resolution of all reconciling items.
• Monitor and report on key performance indicators in order to meet all month end reporting deadlines.
• Oversee daily operations of the department as well as safeguard company assets and maintain customer/vendor relationships.
• Coach and train direct reports to ensure understanding of the objectives and goals of the department, awareness of set targets/requirements and identify opportunities for team members.
• Identify training requirements of team members, develop program to address knowledge gaps and to enrich knowledge repository within the department.
• Continuously seek self-professional development to sharpen skills and capabilities in a versatile and evolving digital landscape.
• Foster active collaboration and relationships with employees across all levels and divisions in line with MTN’s VB and values.
• Maintain a strict control environment and ensure strict compliance with all MTNN policies and procedures.
• Analyse/prepare relevant information for annual budget and financial forecasting; and assist in managing inter-company relationships.
• Supervise/review operational cash flow projection and utilization as well as processing of account payable.
• Work with Financial Operations Manager to identify /rectify error in the entry and remittance of Withholding Tax deductions.
• Establish trends and benchmarks for cash transactions per accounts and prepare reports to assist with pricing decisions.
• Review and approve departmental accrual submissions as well as provide detailed investigation and analysis of all accounts

Job Condition

• Normal MTNN working conditions
• May be required to work extended hours
• Open plan office

Experience & Training
Education:

• A first degree in any discipline, but a finance and management related degree is desirable.
• A professional accounting qualification (ACA, ACCA, CPA, CIMA).
• Fluent in English

Experience:

• Minimum of 3 years’ experience in an area of specialisation; with experience in supervising others
• Experience working in a medium organization
• Experience in core accounting function
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office tools
• Experience in using an ERP system is desirable
• Experience in Finance functions in the telecommunications industry would be an added advantage

Training:

• Numerate and analytical skills.
• Effective communication.
• Assertiveness in workplace.
• Problem solving and decision making skills.
• Time management.
• Personal Effectiveness.
• Creative thinking.
• Telecommunication Basics.
• Knowledge update on accounting and financial standards and best practices.

Minimum qualification:

• BSc, BTech, HND or BA

Application Closing Date
1st August, 2018.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Job Vacancy For Utilities Specialist at SABmiller Plc

SABMiller is in the beer and soft drinks business, bringing refreshment and sociability to millions of people all over the world who enjoy our drinks. We do business in a way that improves livelihoods and helps build communities. We are passionate about brewing and have a long tradition of craftsmanship, making superb beer from high quality natural ingredients.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Utilities Specialist

Reference Number: SAB-455
Location: Ilesa, Osun
Work Level: Senior
Type: Permanent

Job Purpose

• Opportunity exist in International Breweries Plc, Ilesha for the position of Energy & Fluids Specialist reporting to the Energy & Fluids Manager.

Duties and Responsibilities
Amongst other duties, the Energy & Fluids Specialist will:

• Coordinate effective problem solving and troubleshooting sessions
• Implement Service Level Agreement (SLA) among sister departments and suppliers to ensure strict adherence to requirements.
• Implementation of plant HSE policies
• Reduce  total utilities downtime through plant shared learning
• Supervise and Manage overall plant processes
• Regular reporting of the plant KPI with improvement strategies
• Cascade trainings and development modules to the team
• Organize frequent plant audit to ensure regular housekeeping and safety implementation

Requirements

• Minimum of B.Eng/B.SC in Electrical/ Mechanical Engineering
• Minimum of 3-5 years’ experience in a Utilities Department or Production Departments with similar facilities
• Computer Literate
• Membership of a professional body will be an added advantage.

Key Competencies and Attributes:

• Systemic and Analytical problem-solver
• Good understanding of modern maintenance practices and operation of systems
• Good knowledge of the utilities production processes and technologies
• Influencing ability with regards to employee relations.

Salary
Market Related.

Application Closing Date
Not Specified.

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

Job Vacancy For Business Unit Manager at Citibank Nigeria Limited

Citibank Nigeria Limited, the leading global financial services company, provides consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Business Unit Manager

Ref No: 18048622
Location: Lagos
Job Category: Business Management and Admin
Schedule: Full-time
Employee Status: Regular

Job Purpose

• Maximizing the profitability of all customer coverage (across all product categories) covering both the GSG and GCB businesses.

Major Objectives

• Analysis of industry behavior needs (specific), economics (interest & exchange rates, cycles), geo-political changes and then positioning Citigroup products at the disposal of the client.
• Maximizing cross sell in portfolios in conjunction with relationship managers.
• Aligning portfolios products in conjunction with relationship managers with trends in the market place.
• Ensuring that the management information system is accurate, meaningful and that users are trained.
• Assist the GCB Head to develop group’s goals and monitor performance against expectation.
• Design and standardize an information framework for business performance management in GCB.
• Advise on tax and accounting issues in transaction structuring and strategy formulation.
• Preparing plan financials as part of annual EMEA budget process and tracking of performance against budget by product and customer coverage

Key Responsibilities

• Ensuring that the management information system is accurate, meaningful and that users are trained.
• Liaising with relationship managers on their portfolios and product performance against plan.
• Analysis of industry behavior, needs (specific), economics (interest & exchange rates, cycles), geo-political changes and then assistance of Credit of the effects of industrial changes, geo-political changes and economic swings on the client.
• Aligning portfolios products in conjunction with relationship managers with trends in the market place.
• Creation of early warning signals positioning Citigroup products at the disposal of the client.
• Analysis with the for customers identified as potential flight risk.
• Active management of the customer coverage model together with the product areas and relationship managers.
• Provide support for GCB planning and coordinate GCB related corporate reporting (cluster and GCB)
• Monitor and communicate developments in financial systems and accounting procedures and their impact on GCB.

Qualifications

• B.Sc / BA degree.
• A postgraduate degree and relevant professional qualifications will be an added advantage.

Knowledge/Experience:

• Minimum of 4 to 5 years post qualification experience
• Banking knowledge is a pre-requisite.
• Understanding of key products and services as well as the mechanics.
• Basic understanding of Treasury, derivative products and investment banking would be advantageous.
• He or she must be able to make decisions and follow through without the consistent monitoring by the GCB Head.

Skills:

• Ability to create such models and enhance them as per user request is essential.
• Understanding of CitiVision revenue reporting dynamics is key.
• The incumbent should show business acumen when analyzing customer product needs and comparing it to other customers in the industry.
• Knowledge management experience would be advantageous. The incumbent must also show the ability to communicate with peers, juniors and seniors.

Application Closing Date
Not Specified.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Job Vacancy For HRSS Officer at Citibank Nigeria Limited

Schedule: Full-time
Shift: Day Job
Employee Status: Regular

Key Accountabilities

• Act as first point of contact for HRSS query resolution
• Payroll Administration - Collate and provide data to EY; review payroll reports received from EY
• Ensure all Regulatory Remittance / Payment (e.g. Pension, NSITF, PAYE, NHF etc) are made within the regulatory timelines
• Update and maintenance of staff records / files
• HR Accounts reconciliation / provision of documentation for Proofing
• Act as the Business Activity Owner Support for HRSS Vendors
• Process Vendor Payment
• Responsible for processing staff entitlement and benefits:
  • Per Diem for STAs
• Responsible for Office and Inventory Management
• Employee Lifecycle:
  • Enquiry management
  • Leave of absence
  • Letter generation
• Updating HR Systems by working with HR Business Partners to provide efficient, effective and high quality service delivery.
• General HR administrative support
• Reporting
• Other functions that may be assigned to you by your supervisor

Requirements/Qualifications

• A B.Sc/ BA degree

Skills:

• Effective command or verbal and written English
• Strong analytical skills
• Excellent communication skills
• Good customer service orientation
• Very strong interpersonal skills

Knowledge/Experience:

• Payroll Administration Knowledge
• Minimum of 5 years working experience in HR
• Excellent computer skills - Word, PowerPoint and Excel
• Intermediate level on Excel
• Capability in benefits development
• Stakeholder management
• Verbal and written communication skills
• Strong influencing skills

Competencies:

• Highly Organized
• Self- motivated
• A team player
• Characteristics; integrity, judgement, adaptability, creativity, customer focussed, results driven, resilience
• Flexibility of approach, together with a ‘can-do’ attitude are key
• Business focus/analytical skills
• Problem solving, Change Management

Valuing Diversity:

• Demonstrates an appreciation of a diverse workforce.
• Appreciates differences in style or perspective and uses differences to add value to decisions or actions and organisational success.

Application Closing Date
Not Specified.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Note

• Should the Business Head and HR deem there to be high potential candidates who do not fully meet the inherent requirements of the role the candidate may be considered for the position, provided they have certain skills and experience which are closely related to the role. In the exceptional cases where we hire a more junior candidate, HR may require to bring in the candidate at the appropriate grade than the one advertised to maintain internal equity. In these cases the Business and HR will work together to determine a formal developments plan for the candidate to get them up to the appropriate grade.
• Exceptional candidates who do not meet these criteria may be considered for the role provided they have the necessary skills and experience.
• Citi is an Equal Opportunities Employer.

Massive Graduate Trainee Recruitment Wema Bank Plc Nationwide 2018

At Wema Bank, people are the key to realising our vision. Building trust with colleagues and clients, strong teamwork, professionalism and being accountable for our actions are the foundation for our success. We are an organisation that appreciates and values your unique talents, contributions and accomplishments.

Applications are invited for:

Job Title: Graduate Trainee

Location: Nationwide
Employment Status: Full Staff
Job Grade/Level: Entry Level

Requirements

• Qualification: University Degree with a grade not lower than Second Class Upper Division. Professional qualifications and/or certifications proffer added advantage.
• Age: Not older than 26 years.
• Communication Skills: Advanced competency in oral and written English with the ability to communicate clearly and confidently in a professional work environment.
• Interpersonal Skills: Demonstrable and proven interpersonal skills, including the ability to work and interact with people regardless of age, sex, background, religion, race, or origin.
• Flexibility: Be adaptable and demonstrate the ability to traverse different assignments and work locations.
• Analytical Skills: Ability to apply strategic thought process to complex business challenges and to develop innovative, yet practical, solutions.
• Commitment & Aspiration: Be committed to the growth and achievement of personal and corporate goals.

Application Closing Date
31st July, 2018.

Method of Application
Interested and qualified candidates should send their CV's to: job@wemabank.com Stating "Graduate Trainee Recruitment" as the subject of  your mail.

Application Process

• All fresh graduates with a minimum of a university degree not below Second Class Upper Division and have completed the mandatory one-year National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme are encouraged to apply.
• All eligible candidates will be  invited for a Computer-Based Test (CBT). This is the preliminary phase of our entry-level recruitment process. Once successful, they are scheduled for the next phase of the process, leading eventually (for successful candidates) to an exciting career with the Bank.

Click here for more Information

THE NEWS: Americans will get no favours at Ryder Cup course

Americans will get no favours at Ryder Cup course
source: AFP

AFP/File / Lucas BARIOULET US Ryder Cup hopefuls including Brian Harman and Kevin Kisner play at Le Golf National near Paris, watched on by captain Jim Furyk

Big-hitting American stars may have to adjust their games when they defend the Ryder Cup against Europe in September on a tight, punishing course at Le Golf National just outside Paris.

All 12 Europeans are certain to be familiar with the quirks of the French set-up designed to favour strategic play, while American long hitters like world number one Dustin Johnson, Bubba Watson and even possibly Tiger Woods will have to put away their drivers on the majority of holes.

The Americans regained the Ryder Cup two years ago at a Hazeltine track with forgiving fairways and slick greens, but will find a totally different proposition awaiting them in France as they look to win the trophy on European soil for the first time in 25 years.

Course director Paul Armitage, watching the Americans at the Albatros course during a Ryder Cup practice session in mid-July, said the Europeans will have a head start at the September 28-30 contest.

"The Europeans know the course better. It's a real advantage," said Armitage.

He said that even three-time major champion Jordan Spieth was finding out the hard way and had hit two iron shots into the water in succession.

"There is only one way to play some holes and if you don't know that, or don't do that, holes like the famous (par-three) 16th will eat you," he added.

US Ryder Cup captain Jim Furyk brought five US team hopefuls including two-time Masters winner Watson and Spieth over to France for a weekend ahead of the British Open.

Only two other Americans, Phil Mickelson and world number three Justin Thomas, have already played the course this season.

Furyk said they will share their knowledge with other potential team members who can't make the trip before the Ryder Cup.

The message from Furyk will be to keep the driver in the bag, shoot for accuracy rather than distance, and prepare for a showdown on the greens of the par-71, 7,331-yard championship course.

"It's a placement golf course. They are not going to hit a lot of drivers, they're going to hit a lot of three woods, and lot of irons off the tee. It's a second-shot golf course," said the 48-year-old.

"You have to be very precise off the tee. Hit the ball accurately, maybe not that far but accurate. "

Armitage said if you gamble, you can win but you have to play with "brains rather than brawn".

"Americans love the driver, they love to hit 250-300 metres off the tee. You can't do that here. You can't attack this course. I think what bothers them is that you have to use strategy rather than muscle."

- 'Second-shot course' -


AFP / Thomas SAMSON The Albatros course at Le Golf National will host September's Ryder Cup


Watson agreed that the course was a second-shot layout but insisted that better knowledge won't win the trophy for Europe.

"It's not really about knowing the course more, it's about hitting shots," he said.

"We are all going to have to make 10-footers, we are all going to have to hit good iron shots, hit good tee shots, fight the nerves off."

Spieth described it as a "pick your shot, pick it apart" course "with a lot of people playing from the same spot".

"So it will be kind of wedges, short iron control, then a putting contest -- which will be very exciting."

The last four holes are the toughest with the 16th an exciting par-three with water down the right-hand side, while the treacherous 18th is surrounded by an amphitheatre that can hold 50,000 spectators.

"There's a lot that can happen on 15, 16, 17, 18," said Furyk.

"It's an amazing amphitheatre. I am trying to grasp how many fans will be wrapped in this one area. It will probably be the biggest stage we have ever had in any golf tournament just in those four holes."

THE NEWS: Ivanka Trump announces closure of fashion brand

Ivanka Trump announces closure of fashion brand
source: AFP

AFP/File / SAUL LOEB Ivanka Trump -- who serves as an adviser to her father, President Donald Trump -- says she wants to focus on her work in Washington, not the fashion business

Ivanka Trump announced Tuesday that she was closing her eponymous fashion brand, following a firestorm of criticism about potential conflicts of interests and flagging sales fueled by a political backlash.

The 36-year-old, who has been frequently photographed wearing shoes from her namesake label, stepped away from the company to work in the White House as an advisor to her father, President Donald Trump, but continued to profit from the label.

While the clothing, footwear and accessories brand experienced a surge in sales in 2016, the year that Trump won the presidency, it suffered a backlash after he took office, and had been axed by a growing number of retail chains.

As first daughter, she has travelled overseas representing the United States, attended meetings with visiting heads of state and travelled domestically, fueling speculation that she may harbor future political ambitions of her own.

"After 17 months in Washington, I do not know when or if I will ever return to the business, but I do know that my focus for the foreseeable future will be the work I am doing here in Washington," she said in a statement.

"So making this decision now is the only fair outcome for my team and partners," she added.

"I know that each of them will thrive in their next chapter."

US watchdog Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington offered lukewarm approval and called on the Trump family to divest from all assets, saying they should have done so before entering the White House.

"While this is a notable step in the right direction, it's a small one that comes much too late," said CREW executive director Noah Bookbinder.


 GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File / Drew Angerer While the Ivanka Trump clothing, footwear and accessories brand experienced a surge in sales in 2016, the year that her father won the presidency, the label suffered a backlash after he took office, and had been axed by several retail chains


Reports that the brand would file for new trademarks "raises questions as to how serious this 'shut down' really is and whether the brand will continue to create conflicts of interest," he added.

Abigail Klem, president of the Ivanka Trump brand, said she knew that the decision had been a "very difficult" for the first daughter.

The label's 18 employees were informed Tuesday that the business was ending, US media reported.

- China trademarks -

The mother-of-three, who is unpaid for her White House work, made at least $82 million last year with husband Jared Kushner, a fellow Trump advisor.

The former model launched a jewelry line in 2007, before branching out into mid-level priced shoes, handbags and ultimately clothes.

She pitched the label as a mid-priced fashion and lifestyle company, geared towards working women, which was stocked by US department stores such as Macy's, T.J. Maxx, Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus.

In 2016, the year that she hit the campaign trail hard on her father's behalf, the company expanded into denim, activewear and baby bedding.

In January 2017 she announced that she was stepping down from the family real estate firm, The Trump Organization, and from actively managing her brand, which was placed into a trust.


GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File / Drew Angerer Ivanka Trump, who is a former model, launched a jewelry line in 2007, before branching out into shoes, handbags and ultimately clothes.

But the brand was thrust into a major backlash fueled by opposition to the Trump administration and calls for a boycott on those doing business with the first family.

Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus dropped her line, citing slow sales.

Earlier this month, Canadian retailer Hudson's Bay -- whose holdings include US retailers Saks Fifth Avenue and Lord & Taylor -- phased out the brand.

Although Ivanka named Klem president of the label, criticism about conflicts of interest refused to die.

CREW first revealed in May that the brand had been granted five business trademarks in China, just days before the US president suddenly scrapped a US technology ban imposed on Chinese telecom firm ZTE.

In 2017, the label ended talks on a distribution deal with Sanei International in Japan, which insiders attributed to ethics recommendations and an attempt to avoid any appearance of conflict of interest.

In February 2017, Trump counselor Kellyanne Conway plugged the brand in a television interview, urging shoppers to "go buy Ivanka's stuff" -- and then earning a sharp rebuke from ethics officials.

The president had hit out at Nordstrom when it dropped the label, saying on Twitter: "My daughter Ivanka has been treated so unfairly by Nordstrom. She is a great person -- always pushing me to do the right thing! Terrible!"

THE NEWS: 15 detained in China vaccine scandal

15 detained in China vaccine scandal



AFP / - China Food and Drug Administration said the problematic rabies vaccine had not left the factory, but the company admitted it had shipped a separate sub-standard vaccine

Chinese authorities have arrested 15 people including the chairwoman of a rabies vaccine producer under fire for fraudulent quality control in the country's latest drug-safety scandal.

News that pharmaceutical manufacturer Changchun Changsheng Biotechnology had fabricated records and was ordered to cease production of rabies vaccines has revived deep consumer unease over product safety in the country, fuelled by recurring scandals over the years.

Authorities in the northeastern city of Changchun, where the company is based, have arrested 15 people including the company's chairwoman on "suspicion of criminal offences", city police announced late on Tuesday.

The announcement did not give the chairwoman's full name but she has previously been identified as Gao Junfang.

The affair has shattered already fragile trust in regulators and spotlighted the frustrations of China's increasingly sophisticated consumers, who took to social media en masse to vent their anger over the case.

The China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) said last week the problematic rabies vaccine had not left Changsheng's factory, but the company admitted it had shipped a separate sub-standard vaccine.

That vaccine for diphtheria, whooping cough and tetanus was found by regulators to fail quality standards, but the company revealed that it sold 250,000 doses to Shandong province last year.

The problems have rekindled already deep fears over domestically made medicines and driven worried parents online to swap information on obtaining imported vaccines.

Authorities have announced a series of investigations and vowed that heads would roll.

In a sign of the high-level unease, President Xi Jinping -- on a trip to Africa -- weighed in on Monday, calling the vaccine company's actions "vile in nature and shocking", according to state media.

THE NEWS: US, Australia work to improve cyber capabilities

US, Australia work to improve cyber capabilities


GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP / JUSTIN SULLIVAN Australian Minister for Defence Marise Payne, Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and US Secretary of Defense James Mattis attend a joint press conference

The United States and Australia have signed an agreement that will enable the two allies to conduct research and development to advance their combined cyber capabilities, officials said Tuesday.

Nowhere "is the need for innovation more critical than in cyber, which continues to be a pervasive threat to our militaries and to our businesses," Australian Defence Minister Marise Payne said at a US-Australian summit in California.

US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said the two countries had signed a memorandum of understanding "to deepen cybersecurity cooperation."

The move comes amid ongoing hacking thefts of sensitive information from military networks, and Russia's continued attempts to subvert democracy in America and elsewhere.

On a separate topic, an Australian reporter asked Mattis whether he thought the Australian navy should conduct a so-called "freedom of navigation" operation to challenge Chinese claims of sovereignty on militarized islets in the South China Sea.

The longstanding issue poses a dilemma for Canberra, with Australian lawmakers debating how much the country should align itself with its longstanding ally America, or pay more heed to the desires of China, its biggest trade partner.

"As far as freedom of navigation decisions by Australia, that's a sovereign decision by a sovereign state," Mattis said.

"We'll just leave that decision with the people of Australia, which is exactly where it belongs."

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his Australian counterpart Julie Bishop also attended the annual summit.

Pompeo was asked about US views of holding Russia to account over its role in the 2014 shootdown of Malaysia Airlines flight MH-17 over Ukraine, when 298 people, including 38 Australian citizens and residents, were killed.

"We need the Russians to continue to be held accountable for that," Pompeo said.

"We take this matter seriously and we committed over these last two days, as we have for the last months, to continue to support every effort through the Joint Investigative Team to hold the perpetrators for this heinous activity accountable."

THE NEWS: BRICS emerging economies meet as US trade war looms

BRICS emerging economies meet as US trade war looms
source: AFP

AFP/File / - China has rejected accusations by US President Donald Trump that it was manipulating the yuan to give its exporters an edge

Leaders of the BRICS emerging economies -- Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa -- will gather in Johannesburg on Wednesday for a three-day meeting focused on the threat of a US-led global trade war.

US President Donald Trump's hardening stance has compounded fears of an all-out trade war after he slapped levies on goods from China worth tens of billions of dollars and imposed tariffs on other international imports.

China's President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Brazilian President Michel Temer will attend the annual summit, along with several African leaders invited as guests.

Xi held talks with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on the eve of the gathering, saying that "the Johannesburg summit has special significance for BRICS cooperation in the new circumstances".

AFP / - Key economic data on each member of the BRICS group of countries: Brazil, China, Russia, India and South Africa.


China this week sharply rejected accusations by Trump that it was manipulating the yuan to give its exporters an edge, saying Washington appeared determined to provoke a trade war.

Trump has said he is ready to impose tariffs on all $500 billion of Chinese imports, complaining that China's trade surplus with the US is due to unfair currency manipulation.

The BRICS group, comprising more than 40 percent of the global population, represents some of the biggest emerging economies, but it has struggled to find a unified voice -- as well as achieving sharply different growth rates.

- Trade war unity? -

Analysts say US trade policy could give the group renewed unity.

Sreeram Chaulia, of the Jindal School of International Affairs outside Delhi, told AFP that BRICS leaders would "concur that the US has unleashed punitive trade wars that are hurting all the BRICS members".


 POOL/AFP / Themba Hadebe Xi held talks with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on the eve of the gathering

"They have a collective interest in promoting intra-BRICS trade. The urgency this time is greater," he said.

Russian Economy Minister Maxim Oreshkin said last week the Johannesburg meeting was "about the context -- we are at a time when the US and China announce new measures almost every week".

"This is a trade war, so leaders' discussions are particularly important in coordinating our positions," he added.

Xi arrived in South Africa after visiting Senegal and Rwanda as part of a whistlestop tour to cement relations with African allies.

Signalling diplomatic rivalry over influence in Africa, India's Modi visited Rwanda and Uganda on his own five-day tour of the continent including the BRICS summit.

The meeting opens on Wednesday afternoon with a business forum, before the heads of state hold talks on Thursday.

African leaders attending a "BRICS outreach" programme on Friday include Paul Kagame of Rwanda, Joao Lourenco of Angola, Macky Sall of Senegal and Yoweri Museveni of Uganda.

"South Africa, and Africa more broadly, can benefit from increasing exports to fast growing countries like India and China," Kenneth Creamer, an economist at Johannesburg's Wits University, told AFP.

"BRICS has the strategic potential to re-shape world trade."

Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan will also attend a summit as the current chair of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and will meet Putin on the summit's sidelines.

THE NEWS: Macron says bears responsibility for 'Benallagate' scandal

Macron says bears responsibility for 'Benallagate' scandal
source: AFP

AFP/File / Ludovic MARIN French President Emmanuel Macron with his disgraced former top security aide Alexandre Benalla

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday he was ready to take responsibility for the handling of a scandal over violence by a disgraced top security aide, which has embroiled France's leader as his approval ratings sunk to a record low.

At a gathering of lawmakers from his Republic on the Move party, Macron said he felt "betrayal" over the actions of his now-fired aide Alexandre Benalla, who faces charges of assault and impersonating a police officer.

"If they are looking for the accountable person, he is in front of you," Macron said, according to a recording of the meeting obtained by AFP.

"The only person responsible for this affair is me and me alone. I am the one who trusted Alexandre Benalla."

He added that Benalla had been a supporter during his campaign and a loyal employee, but that the acts of May 1 were "serious and have been a disappointment for me, a betrayal".

The 40-year-old president also insisted that "no one has ever been protected" from facing the rules and laws of the country.

Videos have emerged over the past week showing 26-year-old Benalla hitting a young man during May Day demonstrations in Paris while wearing a riot officer's helmet and police armband, and wrestling a woman to the ground.

Macron's aides did not inform prosecutors about the incident, despite a law requiring public officials to alert authorities if laws are broken.

The scandal, dubbed "Benallagate", has prompted furious opposition claims of an attempted cover-up, which the government denies.

Benalla was suspended for two weeks without pay in May and transferred to an administrative role -- though he was repeatedly seen in Macron's security details until he was finally fired on Friday.

In a stormy parliamentary session dominated by questions about Benalla, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe insisted "nothing has been hidden" from the public.

"I understand that some people might wonder if the decision taken was sufficient," Philippe said of Benalla's punishment, admitting that "a republic that strives to be exemplary is not always perfect".


AFP/File / LUDOVIC MARIN Patrick Strzoda, President Emmanuel Macron's office director, said he did not have enough evidence to report disgraced bodyguard Alexandre Benalla to prosecutors


Macron's office director Patrick Strzoda, appearing before a National Assembly committee investigating the case, acknowledged he imposed Benalla's suspension as well as a "demotion" that involved stripping him of responsibility for some elements of the president's security.

But he said that since no complaint was filed against Benalla, and that an analysis by the national police oversight body had not flagged any irregularities, he did not see any need to inform prosecutors.

"I determined that at my level I did not have enough elements to justify" such a move, Strzoda told lawmakers.

The head of the police oversight body, Marie-France Moneger-Guyomarc'h, also testified on Tuesday that police had no reason to believe the person in the Benalla video was not an officer and that the violence "was not illegitimate (if) carried out by police officers".

Macron's chief of staff Alexis Kohler will appear before a separate Senate committee on Thursday.

- Macron tight-lipped -

Macron has so far refused to speak to the public on the worst scandal to hit his government since he was elected in May 2017 promising to restore integrity to French politics.

He has called off Wednesday's scheduled appearance along the Tour de France route in southern France, though his office insists the move was unrelated to "Benallagate".


AFP/File / Naguib-Michel SIDHOM A screen shot from a video showing Alexandre Benalla wearing a police helmet, manhandling a protester in Paris in May

He also posted his first tweet in five days Tuesday -- an unusually long absence for the social media-savvy president -- to offer condolences to victims of the wildfires raging in Greece.

The scandal comes as Macron's ratings slump, with 60 percent reporting an unfavourable opinion in an Ipsos poll published Tuesday -- a record low for the centrist.

An Elabe poll, released before Macron spoke on the issue, found 80 percent were "shocked" by the "Benallagate" affair, with 75 percent urging Macron to break his silence.

"The problem isn't Alexandre Benalla's misconduct but rather the structure that made it possible," said Bruno Cautres, a political scientist in Paris.

"No matter the administrative or judicial consequences of this affair, it will mark a before and after for Emmanuel Macron."

- 'Lending police a hand' -

Opposition lawmakers have seized on the scandal, paralysing debate in parliament while accusing the administration of trying to protect Benalla.

Christian Jacob of the rightwing Republicans has announced he will seek a no-confidence vote against the government, though this would be unlikely to succeed given the solid majority held by Macron's party.


AFP / William ICKES Biographical elements on Alexandre Benalla, a former member of President Emmanuel Macron's staff who has been placed under investigation for beating a demonstrator on May 1


Benalla has defended his intervention during the traditional May Day protests in the capital, which were marred by clashes between police and around 200 youths.

In a statement from his lawyers he said the young man and woman he was filmed scuffling with were "particularly violent individuals" he had been trying to "bring under control" while "lending a hand" to police.

Along with Benalla, Vincent Crase, a security agent employed by Macron's party who was also at the scene, has been charged with assault.Three police officers have also been charged with providing police surveillance footage of the scene to Benalla to help him try to justify his actions

THE NEWS: Red planet and 'blood moon' pair up to dazzle skygazers

Red planet and 'blood moon' pair up to dazzle skygazers
source: AFP

AFP/File / Robyn Beck A "blood moon" seen in January: On Friday, the longest such eclipse this century can be seen in the sky near Mars, which will be its closest in 15 years

The longest "blood moon" eclipse this century will coincide with Mars' closest approach in 15 years to offer skygazers a thrilling astronomical double bill on Friday, astronomers say.

For about half the world, the moon will be partly or fully in Earth's shadow from 1714 to 2328 GMT -- six hours and 14 minutes in all.

The period of complete eclipse -- known as "totality", when the moon appears darkest -- will last from 1930 to 2113 GMT.

"Totality will last for 103 minutes, making it the longest eclipse of the 21st century!" said the Royal Astronomical Society in London.

At the same time, Mars will hover near the moon in the night sky, easily visible with the naked eye.

Our neighbouring planet will appear unusually large and bright, a mere 57.7 million kilometres (35.9 million miles) from Earth on its elliptical orbit around the sun.

"We have a rare and interesting conjunction of phenomena," Pascal Descamps, an astronomer with the Paris Observatory, told AFP.

"We should have a coppery red tint on the moon with Mars the 'Red Planet' just next to it, very bright and with a slight orange hue itself."

Amateur astronomers in the southern hemisphere will be best-placed to enjoy the spectacle, especially those in southern Africa, Australia, India and Madagascar, though it will also be partly visible in Europe and South America.

- Celestial bodies align -


AFP / The parts of the world that will be able to view the total lunar eclipse on July 27


A total lunar eclipse happens when Earth takes position in a straight line between the moon and sun, blotting out the direct sunlight that normally makes our satellite glow whitish-yellow.

The moon travels to a similar position every month, but the tilt of its orbit means it normally passes above or below the Earth's shadow -- so most months we have a full moon without an eclipse.

When the three celestial bodies are perfectly lined up, however, the Earth's atmosphere scatters blue light from the sun while refracting or bending red light onto the moon, usually giving it a rosy blush.

This is what gives the phenomenon the name "blood moon", though Mark Bailey of the Armagh Observatory in Northern Ireland said the colour can vary greatly.

It depends partly on "how cloudy or transparent those parts of the Earth's atmosphere are which enable sunlight to reach the moon", he told AFP.

"During a very dark eclipse the moon may be almost invisible.

"Less dark eclipses may show the moon as dark grey or brown... as rust-coloured, brick-red, or, if very bright, copper-red or orange."

The long duration of this eclipse is partly due to the fact that the moon will make a near-central passage through Earth's umbra -- the darkest, most central part of the shadow.

- 'Eerie and beautiful' -

Our constant companion will also be at the farthest point on its orbit from Earth, making its movement across the sky slower from our perspective, thus spending longer in the dark.

NASA, meanwhile, has called out social media hoaxers claiming that Mars will appear as big as the moon during the eclipse.

"If that were true, we'd be in big trouble given the gravitational pulls on Earth, Mars, and our moon!" the NASA website states.

Mars will more likely appear as a very bright star, and viewers will need no protective eye gear.

"All you have to do is dress warmly and go outside!" the Royal Astronomical Society advises.

"If you want a close-up view of the moon as it turns red, a pair of binoculars is helpful."

"All eclipses are spectacular," the society's Robert Massey added.

"In the middle of a lunar eclipse it can look as if a red planet has taken up residence near the Earth -- they are both eerie and beautiful and I'll certainly be looking out for it!"

THE NEWS: Spain rescues nearly 500 migrants at sea in a single day

Spain rescues nearly 500 migrants at sea in a single day
source: AFP

AFP/File / JORGE GUERRERO According to a count by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), some 18,653 migrants reached Spanish shores between the beginning of the year and July 18

Spanish rescue services said Tuesday they had plucked nearly 500 migrants from the Mediterranean in a single day who were trying to reach the country's coast.

The Spanish Maritime Safety Agency said on Twitter that it had picked up a total of 484 people in 30 makeshift vessels in the Strait of Gibraltar and Alboran Sea, which separate Spain from Morocco.

According to a count by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), some 18,653 migrants reached Spanish shores between the beginning of the year and July 18.

They are mainly from sub-Saharan Africa -- notably Guinea, Mali and Mauritania -- as well as Morocco.

At least 294 migrants have died in their attempts to reach Spain this year, out of a total of 1,489 who died in the Mediterranean, according to IOM.

In June Spain agreed to take in 630 migrants who arrived aboard three vessels, including the French NGO rescue ship Aquarius.

The Aquarius rescued the migrants off Libya's coast on June 9 but Italy's new populist government and Malta both refused to let it dock, triggering an international outcry before Spain stepped in to help.

Then on July 4, a ship belonging to Spanish NGO Proactiva Open Arms docked in Barcelona with 60 migrants rescued off the Libyan coast on board after Italy refused to take them in.

Faced with growing tensions in the EU over the issue, member states struck a deal in late June to stem the arrival of migrants.

The accord includes the setting up of secure centres for migrants in EU countries and "disembarkation platforms" outside the bloc, as well as sharing out refugees among member states.

But the plan remains fraught with rows over how to divide responsibility for migrants and ease the stress on coastal countries such as Italy and Greece.

Italy, which had earlier vowed to turn away rescue boats, agreed Monday to continue accepting migrants picked up at sea, at least until the bloc finds a solution for sharing responsibility.

THE NEWS : German post office delivers electric car surprise

German post office delivers electric car surprise
source: AFP

AFP / Yann Schreiber Miroslav Arapovic says the new delivery vehicle is "less noisy and better integrated into the environment"

On German streets plied by hulking SUVs and roaring combustion engines, the small, toy-like electric vehicles driven by postmen stand out by their silence and their bright yellow livery.

But even more surprising to many in the car-loving nation is the Deutsche Post horn logo on the prows of the so-called "Streetscooters" -- vans that are not much bigger than the iconic Volkswagen Golf.

To some analysts, the former state-owned logistics firm is showing up auto industry giants like Volkswagen, BMW or Daimler by shifting gears towards vehicle electrification even faster.

More than 6,000 Streetscooters number among the 49,300 vehicles Deutsche Post uses for local deliveries, and the company recently opened a second factory to up production to 40 per day.


AFP / Yann Schreiber More than 6,000 Streetscooters number among the 49,300 vehicles Deutsche Post uses for local deliveries, and the company recently opened a second factory to up production to 40 per day


When the traditional carmakers were slow to respond to its search for a low-carbon, low-cost van, bosses snapped up a small start-up firm to build its own.

Industry expert Ferdinand Dudenhoeffer of the Center for Automotive Research calls the move "a starting gun" for electric mobility in Germany, where headlines are more often dominated by a seemingly endless diesel emissions scandal.

For 20-year veteran of the Frankfurt post office Miroslav Arapovic, the new vehicle just means he is "less noisy and better integrated into the environment" as he makes his rounds.

"I've already had compliments from passers-by, like for the fact there aren't any oil marks" on the street, he says.

- Keep it simple -

Deutsche Post designed its Streetscooter from scratch as a delivery vehicle for inner cities.

Its battery offers a range of just 80 kilometres (50 miles), massively slashing the costs of production.

AFP / Yann Schreiber Deutsche Post designed its Streetscooter from scratch as a delivery vehicle for inner cities

Given such "very specific" requirements it was unsurprising that the major manufacturers focused on mass-market models were unable to rise to the challenge, explains Stefan Reindl, director of the Institute for the Automobile Economy (IFA).

Firms like Volkswagen have inflexible production chains, discouraging them from producing at small scale, and they "tend to overengineer" vehicles rather than pursuing minimalism.

For its part, Deutsche Post "does not want to become a carmaker", seeking only to optimise the "last kilometre" of its deliveries, Streetscooter chief Achim Kampker says.

The "last mile", a term adopted from the telecoms industry, is a top question for delivery firms, city authorities and environmentalists, especially in crowded, polluted German city centres.

It refers to the question of how to efficiently move goods from central hubs on to their final destination in densely populated urban areas.


 AFP / Yann Schreiber One expert describes the shift by the post office as "a starting gun" for electric mobility in Germany


Numbers of delivery vehicles making the rounds have ballooned, as booming e-commerce sets ever-more packages on their way to households' front doors.

A British study found in 2017 that light van traffic in London had increased 30 percent over 1993 levels, unlike car and taxi traffic which has been sinking since the early 2000s.

Meanwhile, German cities are scrambling to clean up their air after a court decision ruled that diesel vehicles could be banned as a measure of last resort.

Hamburg and Stuttgart are among the first local authorities to shut off parts of their territory to older cars powered by the fuel.

- Stirring giants -

Despite Kampker's claims of limited ambitions, Streetscooter has gradually become a key player in this growing market, offering its product to outside customers for the past year at a cost of around 40,000 euros ($46,400) each.


AFP / Yann Schreiber Streetscooter has gradually become a key player in this growing market, offering its product to outside customers for the past year at a cost of around 40,000 euros ($46,400) each

In late May, it announced a sale of 200 vans to a British milk delivery firm, while a subsidiary of energy firm Innogy ordered 300 in early July.

Streetscooter is also working on a larger, more powerful model with US-based Ford, which will supply the new van's chassis.

Such early wins are no guarantee of lasting success in an ultra-competitive industry, where traditional carmakers are increasingly switching their focus to electric mobility.

In 2017, Daimler announced a partnership with delivery firm Hermes to develop and produce some 1,500 vans by 2020.

One analyst asks whether Deutsche Post can "remain competitive over the long term" in a market where the likes of BMW and Volkswagen are beginning to throw their massive weight around.

AFP / Yann Schreiber Deutsche Post CEO Frank Appel said in June that he aims to keep Streetscooter within the group "at least for the next two years", although in the long term it may get a separate stock market listing or be bought out by a major carmaker


Industry expert Reindl is "certain" that there will be a broad range of offers from the household names in the near future.

"Perhaps it's the moment for them to adapt and to think about whether their products need to be so complex every time," he suggests.

Deutsche Post CEO Frank Appel said in June that he aims to keep Streetscooter within the group "at least for the next two years", although in the long term it may get a separate stock market listing or be bought out by a major carmaker.

THE NEWS: Historic Chinese town resists eviction for theme park

Historic Chinese town resists eviction for theme park
source: AFP

AFP / NICOLAS ASFOURI Several dozen inhabitants of a historic section of the town of Chikan in southern China are stubbornly holding out against government pressure to sell their properties to make way for a "heritage" theme park

A year ago, customers queued round the block for Wu Ying's red bean and coconut ice puddings, but now the 60-year-old has to vault a barricade to reach her dessert shop.

Wu is one of several dozen inhabitants of a historic section of the town of Chikan in southern China who are stubbornly holding out against government pressure to sell their properties to make way for a "heritage" theme park.

Chikan was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in June 2007 due to its 19th- and early 20th-century houses, which feature a unique mix of European and Chinese architecture, clock towers and intricate stone wall carvings.


AFP / NICOLAS ASFOURI Chikan was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in June 2007 due to its 19th- and early 20th-century houses, which feature a unique mix of European and Chinese architecture, clock towers and intricate stone wall carvings


But locals say the international attention has been a curse.

Last year, municipal authorities announced a $900-million deal with investment firm Citic Private Equity Funds to convert Chikan into a tourist attraction.

Its historic buildings will become hotels, bars, restaurants, trinket shops and cafes for visitors who pay an entrance fee.

Chen Jiewan, deputy mayor of Kaiping city where Chikan is located, said the project aims to "protect Chikan's cultural relics" and draw tourist spending, urging everyone to "work overtime" toward a targeted trial opening next year.


AFP / NICOLAS ASFOURI Authorities in Chikan village in Kaiping have barricaded some streets, and red banners on padlocked storefronts exhort villagers not to "stand in the way of progress"

Nearly 4,000 households received government notices urging them to move out immediately, with most of them accepting compensation offers.

But at least 58 households have refused and received "final notice" letters in late May.

"People were too scared to push back. It is totally absurd that they are kicking out all the people in the name of preservation," complained Wu.

Authorities have barricaded some streets, and red banners on padlocked storefronts exhort villagers not to "stand in the way of progress."

- 'Breaking family bonds' -

Such situations are not uncommon in historic parts of China, with deals cut between local governments and developers.


AFP / NICOLAS ASFOURI Holdouts in Chikan, which is in Guangdong province, say the offered compensation of between 3,200-3,900 yuan ($472–$575) per square metre is nowhere near enough to purchase a small apartment in the area


In 1999, all residents were evicted from the ancient "water town" of Wuzhen near Shanghai, which now charges visitors 200 yuan ($30) for tickets to take canal boat tours of the town.

With vague laws offering property owners little protection, increasing forced evictions have become a major source of public discontent, according to Amnesty International.

Local officials are often under pressure to preserve heritage sites, but the resulting projects "often become so commercialised that they don't always take grassroots perspectives into account," said Leksa Lee, a specialist in the business of cultural heritage in China at New York University Shanghai.

Holdouts in Chikan, which is in Guangdong province, say the offered compensation of between 3,200-3,900 yuan ($472–$575) per square metre is nowhere near enough to purchase a small apartment in the area.

The average cost of new homes in the nearby provincial capital Guangzhou in 2017 was 20,000 yuan per square metre.

Wu said she and some neighbours who staged a protest last autumn were arrested and jailed for several days.


 AFP / NICOLAS ASFOURI With vague laws offering property owners little protection, increasing forced evictions have become a major source of public discontent, according to Amnesty International

Around the same time, 60-year-old local resident Lou Kong Ho said, unidentified people broke into his family's recently renovated ancestral home, looting valuable antiques.

"To get rid of the house would mean breaking the bonds to our family," said Lou, as he placed small teacups and chopsticks at a family altar at his home to pay respect to the clan's ancestors.

Referring to relatives overseas who helped fund the renovation, he added: "What reason would they have to come back? None of it will be ours anymore."

If residents reject the deal, the issue will "enter the judicial process" and property owners will forfeit compensation, a statement on the Kaiping city government's website said. Local officials did not respond to AFP's questions.

- 'Who would help us?' -

Paulinda Poon, an American flight attendant who grew up in Chikan, is among the overseas former residents who return frequently.

In 2016, she travelled to Beijing to deliver a letter to the Foreign Ministry about the "unfair" Chikan situation. Officials there told her it was a local matter.


AFP / NICOLAS ASFOURI The average cost of new homes in the nearby provincial capital Guangzhou in 2017 was 20,000 yuan per square metre -- far more than the offered compensation of between 3,200-3,900 yuan ($472–$575) per square metre in Chikan


Poon visited Chikan again recently and was struck by how it resembled a "ghost town" compared to a visit last year.

Coming across a small group of residents on the riverfront, she asked if they had consulted a lawyer, and one man replied: "Who would help us?"

Poon later visited an elderly cousin at a temporary shelter for displaced residents. Inside the intense heat of the metal structure, her cousin broke down and cried.

Her family members had scattered and she hadn't had a visitor in half a year.

THE LATEST Wema Bank Nationwide Graduate Trainee Recruitment 2018

Wema Bank Nationwide Graduate Trainee Recruitment 2018

At Wema Bank, people are the key to realising our vision. Building trust with colleagues and clients, strong teamwork, professionalism and being accountable for our actions are the foundation for our success. We are an organisation that appreciates and values your unique talents, contributions and accomplishments.

Applications are invited for:

Job Position: Graduate Trainee
Location: Nationwide
Employment Status: Full Staff
Job Grade/Level: Entry Level

Job Requirements

• Qualification: University Degree with a grade not lower than Second Class Upper Division. Professional qualifications and/or certifications proffer added advantage.
• Interpersonal Skills: Demonstrable and proven interpersonal skills, including the ability to work and interact with people regardless of age, sex, background, religion, race, or origin.
• Flexibility: Be adaptable and demonstrate the ability to traverse different assignments and work locations.
• Analytical Skills: Ability to apply strategic thought process to complex business challenges and to develop innovative, yet practical, solutions.
• Commitment & Aspiration: Be committed to the growth and achievement of personal and corporate goals.
• Age: Not older than 26 years.
• Communication Skills: Advanced competency in oral and written English with the ability to communicate clearly and confidently in a professional work environment.

How to Apply
All qualified candidates should send their CV's to: job@wemabank.comStating "Graduate Trainee Recruitment" as the subject of  your mail.

Application Process

• All fresh graduates with a minimum of a university degree not below Second Class Upper Division and have completed the mandatory one-year National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme are encouraged to apply.
• All eligible candidates will be  invited for a Computer-Based Test (CBT). This is the preliminary phase of our entry-level recruitment process. Once successful, they are scheduled for the next phase of the process, leading eventually (for successful candidates) to an exciting career with the Bank.

THE NEWS: Tape of Trump discussing hush money for alleged affair released

Tape of Trump discussing hush money for alleged affair released



AFP/File / Nicholas Kamm, Dimitrios Kambouris Former Playboy model Karen McDougal says she had a months-long affair with Donald Trump after they met in 2006

Donald Trump can be heard discussing with his personal lawyer how to buy the rights to the story of a Playboy model, who says she had an affair with the now president, on a tape released Tuesday by CNN.

The existence of the tape, secretly recorded by his former longtime attorney Michael Cohen two months before the 2016 election, was reported last week by the New York Times, which said the FBI seized it during a raid on Cohen's office this year.

Now, the recording is available for the world to listen to.

It involves Karen McDougal, a former Playboy model who says she had a months-long fling with Trump after they met in 2006, shortly after Trump's wife Melania gave birth to their son, Barron.

In the tape, Trump and Cohen talk about buying the rights to McDougal's story, which she had sold a month earlier to the National Enquirer for $150,000. The tabloid never published the story.

In the at-times muddled recording, Cohen says he wants to set up a company to acquire the rights off American Media, the company that owns the Enquirer.

During the campaign, the Trump team denied any knowledge of the deal between McDougal and American Media.

But in the tape, candidate Trump expresses no surprise when the issue comes up and Cohen talks about essentially reimbursing the company for what it paid McDougal.


AFP/File / EDUARDO MUNOZ ALVAREZ Donald Trump and his former personal attorney Michael Cohen have had a falling out


"I need to open up a company for the transfer of all that info regarding our friend David," Cohen says, apparently referring to David Pecker, the head of American Media.

"When it comes time for the financing, which will be --," Cohen says, at which point Trump interrupts and says "what financing?"

"We'll have to pay --," Cohen says, according to a CNN transcript of the conversation, which also addressed other business issues between the two men.

"We won't pay with cash?" Trump asks, according to the CNN transcript of a segment that is particularly hard to hear.

Cohen is then heard saying "no, no" and it is not clear what is said next.

The tape, made in September 2016, two months before the election, was provided to CNN by Cohen's attorney, Lanny Davis.

Cohen, who has fallen out with Trump, is under federal investigation in New York for his business dealings and reportedly whether hush payments violated campaign finance laws.

THE NEWS: Dozens dead in IS attacks on southern Syria: monitor

Dozens dead in IS attacks on southern Syria: monitor
SOURCE: afp

AFP / DELIL SOULEIMAN A member of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) removes an Islamic State group flag in the Syrian town of Tabqa, about 55 kilometres (35 miles) west of Raqa city, on April 30, 2017

A string of suicide attacks in Syria by the Islamic State group has killed at least 40 people, mostly pro-regime fighters, in one of the jihadists' deadliest operations in months, a war monitor said Wednesday.

"Three bombers with explosive belts targeted Sweida city alone, while the other blasts hit villages to the north and east," said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Rami Abdel Rahman, the head of the Britain-based Observatory, said the group then followed up with further attacks, seizing three of the seven villages it had targeted.

He said 26 pro-government fighters had been killed and more than 30 people wounded in the attack on populated areas close to Sweida city.

Syria's official news agency SANA confirmed the attack had killed and wounded people in the provincial capital.

State television also reported casualties in villages to the north and east, adding that the army was "targeting positions of the Daesh (IS) terrorist group" Sweida province's eastern countryside".

Abdel Rahman said unidentified warplanes were also targeting IS fighters in the area.

Despite pro-government forces ousting the group from urban centres in eastern Syria last year, surprise raids in recent months have killed dozens of regime and allied fighters.

The regime of President Bashar al-Assad has in recent weeks ousted rebels from a majority of the country's south, part of which borders the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

The regime controls almost all of Sweida province but IS retains a presence in desert areas of its north and east.

It is now closing in on a patch of territory in nearby Daraa province held by jihadist group Jaish Khaled bin al-Walid, which has pledged allegiance to IS.

The group, which has around 1,000 fighters in the region, has been the target of an intense campaign of bombing by Russian and Syrian jets in recent days.

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a group made up mostly of ex-members of the former Al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria, also has a few hundred men in the south.

A Syrian military source accused Israel on Tuesday of firing at one of its warplanes as it carried out operations against jihadists in southern Syria.

Israel's army earlier said it had shot down a Syrian fighter jet that had infiltrated Israeli airspace, risking another escalation in the sensitive border zone.

The Observatory later said air operations had dramatically decreased following the incident.

The Damascus regime has long accused Israel of backing IS and other opposition factions.

Clashes raged Tuesday between regime troops and IS jihadists on the northern edges of the border town of Saida, the Observatory said.

THE NEWS: Sick star Lee out of badminton World Championships, Asian Games

Sick star Lee out of badminton World Championships, Asian Games
source: AFP

AFP / Mohd RASFAN Lee Chong Wei celebrates winning the Malaysia Open earlier this month

Malaysian badminton star Lee Chong Wei has pulled out of the World Championships and Asian Games because of a respiratory illness, officials said Wednesday, after a gruelling schedule in recent months.

The world number two has been advised to rest and undergo treatment after competing in nine tournaments so far this year.

The week-long World Championships in Nanjing, China, begin on Monday while the Asian Games in Indonesia are from August 18 to September 2.

"(Lee) is unwell and suffering from a respiratory related disorder," the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) said in a statement.

"For the time being, he cannot undergo any intensive physical activity for a period of at least one month and therefore we have to withdraw Lee from his participation at the BWF World Championships... and the Asian Games."

BAM did not give any further details about the three-time Olympic silver medallist's illness.

Speculation had been mounting over the past week about the 35-year-old's health after he failed to show up for training.

The development is a blow for the former world number one, who has never won gold at either the World Championships or the Asian Games during a stellar 17-year career.

His achievements this year include winning the men's singles gold at the Commonwealth Games and clinching his 12th Malaysian Open title.

BAM president Norza Zakaria said he had met Lee and supports his decision to rest.

"We do not want the pressure of competition to impose a toll on his health. We look forward to his return to competition, he told AFP.

THE NEWS: Gas giant Linde reports strong Q2 ahead of mega-merger

Gas giant Linde reports strong Q2 ahead of mega-merger
source: AFP

dpa/AFP/File / Matthias Balk Munich-based Linde said net profits attributable to shareholders reached 429 million euros ($501 million) between April and June, up 53 percent year-on-year

German industrial gases giant Linde on Tuesday reported strong performance in the second quarter, adding that preparations for a hoped-for massive merger with American rival Praxair were in "full swing".

Munich-based Linde said net profits attributable to shareholders reached 429 million euros ($501 million) between April and June, up 53 percent year-on-year.

Operating, or underlying profit as measured by EBIT grew 31 percent, to 623 million euros, on the back of revenues up 1.0 percent at 4.5 billion euros.

Preferring to highlight turnover up 4.7 percent in currency-adjusted terms over the first six months, chief executive Aldo Belloni hailed "encouraging growth in revenue" helping put the group "on the right track" ahead of the Praxair merger.

Revenues and profits at the group's flagship gases division sagged in the second quarter, but were more than made up for by growth at the engineering division, which builds ready-to-use industrial plants.

Looking to its proposed merger with Praxair, Linde said that "the merger control and regulatory processes are in full swing".

Hoping to earn competition authorities' favour for the tie-up, it said earlier this month it had agreed to sell off much of its business in the Americas for $3.3 billion if the deal goes ahead.

Meanwhile, Praxair has promised to offload European businesses worth $5.9 billion on the same terms.

The two groups hope to secure approval and complete the merger -- worth around $65 billion -- in the second half of the year.

Over the full year, Linde alone expects revenues up to 4.0 percent higher than the 17.1 billion euros achieved in 2017, while shooting for operating profit adjusted for currency effects up to 5.0 percent higher.

THE NEWS: 19 bodies found after Laos dam collapse, hundreds still missing

19 bodies found after Laos dam collapse, hundreds still missing
source: AFP

ATTAPEU TODAY/AFP / Handout Several villages were submerged with hundreds of people feared missing

Rescuers recovered 19 bodies and hundreds remain missing after a dam collapse swamped several villages in southern Laos, as survivors Wednesday questioned why they got little warning of the deluge.

Two South Korean contractors said they reported damage a day before parts of the Xe-Namnoy dam gave way Monday and unleashed a wall of water.

A Thai consular official, Chana Miencharoen, at the scene of the relief effort in Attepeu province told AFP 19 bodies had been recovered.

"Seventeen others are injured and in hospital," he said, adding roof-level floodwater was hampering rescue efforts.

In an update on Wednesday afternoon state-run Laos News Agency said hundreds of people remained unaccounted for, with at least 50 missing from the village of Ban Mai alone.


ABC LAOS/AFP / Handout This screen grab taken on handout video footage from ABC Laos on July 24, 2018 shows an aerial view of the flooded plains


Footage on Laos television showed people huddled on roofs awaiting rescue as muddy water swirled menacingly just below them.

Questions began to emerge over the collapse, with some of the displaced saying they were warned to evacuate homes only hours before disaster struck.

"It happened quickly, we had little time to prepare ourselves," Joo Hinla, 68, from one of the worst-hit villages of Ban Hin Lath, told AFP from a warehouse crammed with over 700 displaced people in a neighbouring province.

"All of the houses in my village are under water. Four of my family are missing, we don't know about their fate yet."

Hundreds of other displaced people, including women, children and the elderly, sat on the floor nearby surrounded by plastic bags crammed with meagre belongings.

- The damming of Laos -

Laos, poor but blessed with abundant natural resources, aims to become the "Battery of Asia" allowing dozens of foreign-funded dam projects across its network of rivers.

But fears over the environmental impact of the projects, which export most of their electricity to neighbouring Thailand and China, go virtually unvoiced inside the tightly controlled communist country.

Villagers across the country have been moved, some several times, to make way for dams whose benefits are mainly enjoyed outside of the country, campaigners say.

Once complete, around 90 percent of the electricity generated by the Xe-Namnoy dam was destined for Thailand.


AFP / YE AUNG THU An elderly woman carries a child while other residents displaced by the flood seek shelter in Paksong town in Champasak province

The remote flooded area is only accessible by helicopter and flat-bottomed boats, with roads badly damaged or completely washed away.

Rescue officials in neighbouring Thailand were reportedly stuck at the border because Laotians were sluggish in allowing access to the country.

South Korea was sending a relief team to the area, President Moon Jae-in's spokesman said Wednesday in Seoul.

"Although we are still determining the cause of the dam accident, our government must actively take part in on-site relief efforts without delay as our companies were involved in the construction of the dam," Moon was quoted as saying.

- Questions over warning -

Two South Korean companies involved in the $1.2 billion project said damage was reported a day before the dam collapsed following heavy monsoon rain.

SK Engineering & Construction said it discovered that the upper part of the structure had washed away at around 9:00 pm on Sunday.

"We immediately alerted the authorities and began evacuating villagers downstream," it said in a statement.

Repair work was hampered by rain which had damaged roads, it said, and early on Monday water was discharged from the Xe-Namnoy dam -- one of the two main dams in the project -- to try to relieve pressure on the auxiliary structure.

The government was warned about further damage to the dam at around noon, prompting an official evacuation order for villagers downstream, and the structure collapsed a few hours later, it said.

Dam operator Korea Western Power Co. said one of the auxiliary dams -- "Saddle D" -- broke under heavy rain.

But according to a timeline the firm provided in a report to a South Korean lawmaker and obtained by AFP, it said "11 centimetres of subsidence was found at the centre of the dam " as early as Friday.

Emergency repair equipment could not be used as the subsidence worsened.

"It remains unclear what caused the dam to subside in some places and develop cracks," a Korea Western Power spokesman told AFP.

The 410 megawatt capacity plant was supposed to start commercial operations by 2019.

The project consists of a series of dams over the Houay Makchanh, the Xe-Namnoy and the Xe-Pian rivers.

burs-apj/sm