Month: ستمبر 2019

San Francisco is pulling out all the stops to fight homelessness – except actually making housing affordable​ San Francisco is one of the wealthiest cities in the US, but its high housing prices and strict zoning have contributed to a homelessness crisis. The city has declared war on its rough sleepers – because housing them is too easy.​ The latest offensive in the city’s “war on homelessness” is sidewalk boulders – giant rocks placed along the sidewalk to deter homeless encampments. San Franciscans in the Mission Dolores neighborhood raised $2,000 to line their sidewalk with 24 large boulders to stop the homeless from setting up camp, using and selling drugs, and otherwise lowering the quality of life.​ /...

Cardiff City ordered to pay Nantes .5 million for tragic air-crash striker Emiliano Sala English Championship side Cardiff City have been ordered to pay $6.5 million (€6 million) to French side Nantes for striker Emiliano Sala after a ruling by football's governing body, FIFA. The two clubs had agreed an $18.45 million fee for the Argentinian striker to secure his transfer to Cardiff, then a Premier League club, during the January 2019 transfer window. Tragically, Sala perished in a plane crash while being flown across the English Channel. His body was later recovered, but that of the plane's pilot, Dave Ibbotson, was not. Also on rt.com Nantes seek FIFA intervention after Cardiff miss first Sala payment T...

8 more EU countries join sanctions-circumventing exchange INSTEX to trade with Iran – EU high representative’s aide Eight EU countries have joined INSTEX, the mechanism set up to trade with Iran while circumventing US sanctions, and another two are set to follow, according to an aide to EU High Representative Federica Mogherini. “Apart from the three countries that initiated the creation of the mechanism – France, Germany and Great Britain – eight more EU member states have decided to join. Two more countries are expected to follow in their footsteps,” Nathalie Tocci, an aide to Mogherini, said on Monday on the sidelines of the Valdai Club meeting in Sochi. Also on rt.com Russia & Iran to switch to SWIFT-free ...

Labour MP targeted by American anti-abortion group with graphic ‘Stop Stella’ billboard Graphic billboards showing a fetus at ‘nine weeks’ gestation have sprung up in the constituency of a Labour MP whose spat with an American anti-abortion group rumbles on. Stella Creasy, the MP for Walthamstow who advocates ‘pro-choice’ on the issue of abortion, took to social media on Monday to post pictures of a billboard with the striking images of a fetus with “stopstella.com” emblazoned on it. Also on rt.com ‘Forced abortion’ decision overturned in case of 22-weeks-pregnant mentally ill woman Creasy, who is currently pregnant, had strong words for the advertising company that provided the space for the image, tweetin...

BrahMos going local: India tests supersonic missile with ‘major indigenous components’ India has successfully tested the BrahMos supersonic missile, which it developed together with Russia. The weapon features several major components manufactured domestically. The missile was fired on Monday morning from a test site in Chandipur, a coastal city in northeastern India, and traveled some 290km before hitting its target, India’s Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) reported. The test involved a land attack version of the missile, which had several components manufactured domestically, including its propulsion system, airframe, and power supply. Images of BrahMos test conducted today. Indian propulsion system was used. pic.t...

Flying fox? Wild animal filmed running around INSIDE Moscow airport terminal (VIDEO) Air travelers passing through Moscow’s busy Domodedovo Airport were surprised to see an unlikely jetsetter poking around the luggage belt and check-in area: a full-grown fox. In social media footage filmed during the recent close encounter, the red fox can be seen wandering around behind the check-in desks, possibly trying to escape via the luggage belts, before turning and sprinting across the tiled floor toward the windows. The creature can be seen pawing at the glass in vain, looking for an opening. The airport press service told TASS afterwards that CCTV footage showed the fox had spent several minutes inside the terminal before making its wa...

Fitch slashes Saudi Arabia’s credit rating over ‘risk of further attacks’ Rating agency Fitch has downgraded Saudi Arabia’s credit rating from A+ to A citing geopolitical risks and a downturn in the kingdom’s fiscal position. Riyadh called Fitch’s decision “somewhat speculative.” “The downgrade reflects rising geopolitical and military tensions in the Gulf region, Fitch’s revised assessment of the vulnerability of Saudi Arabia’s economic infrastructure and continued deterioration in Saudi Arabia’s fiscal and external balance sheets,” the New York-based agency said in a statement on Monday. The firm put the kingdom’s long-term foreign currency issuer default rating from A+ to A, while stating that the outlook remains stable. The downgrade comes just ...

Goldman Sachs predicts massive 5G smartphone boom in 2020 The 5G technology boom could be explosive for smartphone makers, according to Goldman Sachs. The Wall Street bank significantly increased its 5G smartphone estimates for next year. Goldman’s analyst Rod Hall pointed to his supply chain research indicating “much higher” 5G device sales than previously expected. “We are increasing our 2020 5G smartphone estimates to 120 million from 50 million as the supply chain continues to indicate much higher 5G device sales, particularly in China, than we have been forecasting,” Hall said. Also on rt.com Huawei to invest $1.5bn in its developer program He suggested that 5G would only be available in limited parts ...