Monday, January 09, 2017

Iran Rafsanjani death: Thousands attend ex-president's funeral

Tens of thousands of Iranians have turned out in the capital Tehran for the funeral of former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani. Supr... thumbnail 1 summary
Tens of thousands of Iranians have turned out in the capital Tehran for the funeral of former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei will perform prayers at the ceremony, which is being held at Tehran University.
Mr Rafsanjani, president from 1989 to 1997, died of a heart attack on Sunday at the age of 82.
Three days of official mourning began on Monday.
The funeral is expected to be a show of force by reformists and moderates for whom Mr Rafsanjani was a figurehead in recent years, analysts say.
However, Islamic hardliners are also expected to attend the funeral in large numbers to claim that he was one of them.

Mr Rafsanjani was a key supporter of President Hassan Rouhani and had backed Iran's landmark deal with world powers over its nuclear programme.
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President Rouhani was reportedly at Mr Rafsanjani's hospital bedside in Tehran on Sunday where doctors had fought to save him.
"Islam lost a valuable treasure, Iran an outstanding general, the Islamic revolution a courageous flag-bearer and the Islamic system a rare sage," Mr Rouhani later said.

Tributes and condolences have come from around the world.
The US State Department described Mr Rafsanjani as a "prominent figure" in Iranian history.
Mr Rafsanjani's youngest son Yaser, 46, thanked those mourning his father for their "loyalty and kindness".
He told state TV: "I see scenes of affection that I cannot believe. People's prayers for our father console our hearts."

IS 'loses more than a quarter of its territory' in Syria and Iraq

Image copyrig AF dfgfdfImage Islamic State Battle for Mosul: The story so far Islamic State group: The full story ... thumbnail 1 summary


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So-called Islamic State (IS) has lost more than a quarter of the territory it once controlled, new data shows.
Security and defence analysts IHS say the group's control has shrunk by 28% since its height in January 2015.
In the first nine months of this year, IS' territory fell from 78,000 sq km (30,115 sq miles) to 65,500 sq km - an area equivalent to the size of Sri Lanka - IHS analysts said.
However, IS losses have slowed in the three months to October.
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IS has lost just 2,800 sq km (1,080 sq miles) since July.
The slowdown appears to coincide with Russia reducing the number of air strikes against IS targets, IHS has observed.
At the start of the year, some 26% targeted IS, but by the summer it had dropped to just 17%.

INTERACTIVESee how the area IS controls has changed since 2015

October 2016


January 2015

"Last September, President Putin said it was Russia's mission to fight international terrorism and specifically the Islamic State," said Alex Kokcharov, principal Russia analyst at IHS. "Our data suggests that is not the case.
"Russia's priority is to provide military support to the Assad government and, most likely, transform the Syrian civil war from a multi-party conflict into a binary one between the Syrian government and jihadist groups like the Islamic State; thereby undermining the case for providing international support to the opposition."
Yet the losses the group has sustained are still significant, experts say. IS has been pushed back 10km from the Turkish border, while Iraqi forces have secured Qayyarah Airbase, a key strategic facility 60km south of the IS stronghold of Mosul.

A map showing Islamic State territory losses in 2015 and 2016

It also lost the Syrian city of Manbij and its surrounding roads, which linked the Turkish border to IS' de-facto capital Raqqa, to US-backed Kurdish and Arab fighters in August.
"The Islamic State's territorial losses since July are relatively modest in scale, but unprecedented in their strategic significance," said Columb Strack, senior analyst and head of the IHS Conflict Monitor.
"The loss of direct road access to cross-border smuggling routes into Turkey severely restricts the group's ability to recruit new fighters from abroad, while the Iraqi government is poised to launch its offensive on Mosul."
Should the long-promised and much-delayed offensive against Mosul - expected to begin later this month - be successful, it would be a huge blow the extremists.
Mosul - Iraq's second city, under the control of the extremists since 2014 - is described as the "last bastion" for IS in Iraq, with authorities in Baghdad saying it would spell the end for the group in their country.

Donald Trump has 'great meeting' with Alibaba boss Jack Ma

US President-elect Donald Trump has held what he said was a "great meeting" in New York with Jack Ma, chairman of the e-commer... thumbnail 1 summary
US President-elect Donald Trump has held what he said was a "great meeting" in New York with Jack Ma, chairman of the e-commerce site Alibaba.
After the meeting Mr Ma said that both had agreed that US-China relations "should be strengthened, should be more friendly and do better".
Mr Ma said he would help US businesses create a million new jobs by using his website to sell to China.
During his campaign Mr Trump threatened to place tariffs on Chinese imports.
"Jack and I are going to do some great things," Mr Trump told reporters gathering in the Trump Tower lobby as the two emerged from the lift together.
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Calling the future US president "smart" and "open-minded", Mr Ma described his company's plan to attract one million small US businesses to its platform in order to sell goods to Chinese consumers.

Company spokesman Bob Christie said that one million new jobs will be created over the next five years as small American businesses hire new employees who will be tasked with interacting with Alibaba.
Mr Ma, who is one of the richest people in China, specifically said that farmers and small clothing makers in the US Midwest should use the Alibaba online marketplace to reach Chinese consumers.
It is estimated that up to 80% of Chinese online purchases are made on the Alibaba platform.
The New York real estate mogul has said that 45% import taxes could be placed on Chinese goods and would come in response to currency manipulation and illegal subsidies by the world's second largest economy.
He has been highly critical of Chinese trade practices, and has appointed noted China critics to key economic cabinet positions in the White House.
Market researchers fear that punitive tariffs would lead to a retaliatory response from China, triggering a trade war.

Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, named top adviser

Trump elected What do the Trump tweets reveal? When presidents and spies fall out 18 revelations from Wikileaks emai... thumbnail 1 summary
President-elect Donald Trump has named his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, as one of his senior White House advisers.
The 35-year-old played a key role in the presidential campaign and his new White House job will cover both domestic and foreign policy.
Mr Kushner, who is married to Ivanka Trump, is a property developer with a wide range of business interests.
Democrats immediately called for a review of the appointment, citing nepotism laws and potential conflicts.
Members of the House Judiciary Committee urged the Department of Justice and the Office of Government Ethics to step in.
Earlier, Mr Trump hailed his son-in-law as a "tremendous asset" and he was proud to give him a "key leadership role" in the administration.
The New York businessman will be inaugurated as the 45th president on 20 January.
Members of Mr Trump's team have argued that a law barring officials from giving government jobs to relatives does not apply to White House positions.
There are also federal ethics laws that mean government employees cannot profit from any businesses.
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Mr Kushner's lawyer has said he would step down as boss of his family's real estate business if he took a White House job, and extricate himself from some of his assets.
Jamie Gorelick of law firm WilmerHale said Mr Kushner was committed to complying with federal ethics laws and had consulted with the Office of Government Ethics about what steps to take.
Mr Kushner was often seen by his father-in-law's side during the presidential campaign and was heavily involved in its digital strategy.
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Analysis - Anthony Zurcher, BBC News, Washington

Although Mr Kushner served as a close confidant to Mr Trump during his presidential campaign, an official position in the Trump administration was thought by many to run counter to anti-nepotism laws dating back to the 1960s.
According to media reports, however, Trump team lawyers believe they have found a way around those restrictions, which they say only covers government "agencies" and not the office of the White House.
There are also reports that Mr Kushner may work in the White House without drawing a government salary.
Mr Kushner, who like Mr Trump is involved heavily in New York area real estate, has begun divesting himself of some business considerations in preparations for a possible ethics review.
That may be easier said than done, however, given his family's vast real-estate holdings, including ties to foreign nationals investing in the US.
Ethics concerns swirl around Trump team
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He was said to have played a role in the ousting of New Jersey Governor Chris Christie from the transition team during the campaign.
While US attorney for New Jersey, Mr Christie prosecuted Mr Kushner's father for tax evasion and witness tampering, and he served a jail sentence.
Mr Kushner has also been present at Cabinet interviews and in key meetings with foreign leaders.
He owns 666 Fifth Avenue, a skyscraper a few blocks down from Trump Tower, and aged 25, he bought the New York Observer newspaper.
Several of Mr Trump's Cabinet picks have business interests that will be scrutinised at confirmation hearings taking place this week.
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What is the nepotism law?

  • prevents public officials from promoting a relative "to a civilian position in the agency in which he is serving or over which he exercises jurisdiction or control"
  • was signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson in 1967
  • thought to have been prompted by JFK's appointment of brother Robert to attorney general post in 1960
  • the law would stop a president from giving a Cabinet job to a relative
  • but whether it applies to non-Cabinet posts like advisers is untested.

Prototypes of Razer triple screen gaming laptop stolen

Two prototype models of a highly-anticipated gaming laptop have been stolen at the 2017 CES tech show in Las Vegas. The concept device... thumbnail 1 summary

Two prototype models of a highly-anticipated gaming laptop have been stolen at the 2017 CES tech show in Las Vegas.
The concept devices from gaming company Razer boasts three 4K screens and is said to be the first portable laptop of its kind.
Razer said the devices were taken from its press room on Sunday.
Chief Executive Min-Liang Tan said that his company was treating the case as "industrial espionage".
A Razer spokesperson said it was offering $25,000 for any "original information leading to the identification, arrest and conviction" of those allegedly involved in the crime.
"Our teams worked months on end to conceptualise and develop these units," he said in a post on his official Facebook page.
"It is cheating, and cheating doesn't sit well with us. Anyone who would do this clearly isn't very smart."
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Headquartered in California, Razer was founded by Singaporean entrepreneur Min-Liang Tan.
The brand enjoys a cult status among the gaming community, who favour its sleek product designs and innovative offerings.
Gamers from around the world expressed their excitement about the device which is part of the firms Project Valerie.
"Razer always finds a way to outclass other brands. No offense to people who like other products," said Jason Vicencio.
"This device is a dream come true for every gamer on the go, no more having to cram graphics and line of vision into just one screen," commented Artie Derilo.
"I would love to open this up on an airplane while sitting in the middle seat," joked Marvin England
But other Facebook users like Malachy Hamilton questioned its design.
"What's the point in three screens? The point of a laptop is portability and being able to do work and some light gaming on the go," he said.
"For this, you'd need a beefy battery which would increase the weight, therefore making it less of a laptop."
Project Valerie is still a prototype and Razer has not yet published a possible release date or price.

New candidate for 'missing element' in Earth's core

This study suggests silicon exists in the Earth's inner core with iron and nickel Japanese scientists believe they have established... thumbnail 1 summary





This study suggests silicon exists in the Earth's inner core with iron and nickel

Japanese scientists believe they have established the identity of a "missing element" within the Earth's core.
They have been searching for the element for decades, believing it makes up a significant proportion of our planet's centre, after iron and nickel.
Now by recreating the high temperatures and pressures found in the deep interior, experiments suggest the most likely candidate is silicon.
The discovery could help us to better understand how our world formed.
Lead researcher Eiji Ohtani from the University of Tokyo told BBC News: "We believe that silicon is a major element - about 5% [of the Earth's inner core] by weight could be silicon dissolved into the iron-nickel alloys."
Hard to reach
The innermost part of our Earth is thought to be a solid ball with a radius of about 1,200km.
It is far too deep to investigate directly, so instead scientists study how seismic waves pass through this region to tell them something of its make-up.
It is mainly composed of iron, which makes up an estimated 85% of its weight, and nickel, which accounts for about 10% of the core.
Add this together though and around 5% is unaccounted for.
To investigate, Eiji Ohtani and his team created alloys of iron and nickel and mixed them with silicon.
They then subjected them to the immense pressures and temperatures that exist in the inner core.
They discovered that this mixture matched what was seen in the Earth's interior with seismic data.
Prof Ohtani said more work was needed to confirm the presence of silicon and that it did not rule out the presence of other elements.
Core formation
Commenting on the research, Prof Simon Redfern from the University of Cambridge, UK, said: "These difficult experiments are really exciting because they can provide a window into what Earth's interior was like soon after it first formed, 4.5 billion years ago, when the core first started to separate from the rocky parts of Earth.
"But other workers have recently suggested that oxygen might also be important in the core."
He said that knowing what is there could help scientists to better understand the conditions that prevailed during the formation of the Earth.
In particular whether the early interior was one where oxygen was greatly limited - known as reducing conditions. Or whether oxygen was in abundance, which is described as oxidising.
If a larger amount of silicon had been incorporated in Earth's core more than four billion years ago, as suggested by Prof Ohtani's results, that would have left the rest of the planet relatively oxygen rich.
But if, instead, oxygen was sucked into the core that would leave the rocky mantle surrounding the core depleted of the element.
Prof Redfern said: "In a way, these two options are real alternatives that depend a lot on the conditions prevailing when Earth's core first began to form.
"The most recent results add to our understanding, but I suspect that they are by no means the last word on the story."
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