Of the total 24 PS4-Orbital Experiment Module (POEM-4) payloads which will be flown onboard the PSLV-C60 SpaDeX mission, four have been developed by Karnataka-based academia and start-ups. The PSLV-C60 SpaDeX mission is likely to be launched by ISRO by the end of this month from Sriharikota. The four payloads are: RVSat-1 payload, BGS ARPIT (Amateur Radio Payload for Information Transmission), RUDRA 1.0 HPGP and GLX-SQ payload. Microbiological experiment The RVSat-1 payload is developed by R.V. College of Engineering, Bengaluru, and aims to perform a microbiological experiment under microgravity conditions in Low Earth Orbit. “RVSat-1 will measure the growth kinetics of a gut bacterium, ‘Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron,’ in space and generate a comprehensive growth curve of the bacterium under space conditions, supplemented with prebiotics, and compare it with Earth-based data. This experiment provides valuable data for understanding human physiology in space and astronaut health and well-being during crewed missions. The data collected from the experiment has diverse applications such as the development of effective antibiotics against resistant strains, waste management, recycling and bioremediation processes critical for space exploration,” ISRO said. Amateur radio satellites The BGS ARPIT payload is developed by SJC Institute of Technology, Chickballapur, and it is a multimode message transmitter payload that can transmit audio, text, and image messages from a satellite to the ground using FM modulation and the VHF band. “It is designed to provide amateur radio satellite services globally,” the space agency said. Developed by space start-up Bellatrix Aerospace Pvt. Ltd., RUDRA 1.0 HPGP’s primary objectives are to demonstrate a high-performance green propulsion system, sustain steady-state thruster firing for a minimum of 50 seconds, and monitor the thermal profile of the propulsion system. The GLX-SQ payload developed by GalaxEye Space Solutions Private Limited demonstrates the generation, capture, and processing of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images in a space environment. Walking robotic arm In addition the mission will also see the launch of payloads such as Relocatable Robotic Manipulator-Technology Demonstrator (RRM-TD), also known as the Walking Robotic Arm. The RRM-TD is India’s first space robotic manipulator with walking capability, Compact Research Module for Orbital Plant Studies (CROPS) payload which is envisioned as a multi-phase platform to develop and evolve ISRO’s capabilities for growing and sustaining flora in extraterrestrial environments. “Designed as a fully automated system, a 5 to 7-day experiment is planned to demonstrate seed germination and plant sustenance until the two-leaf stage in a microgravity environment,” ISRO said. Also onboard is the Amity Plant Experimental Module in Space (APEMS) payload is developed by Amity University, Mumbai, which is designed to study growth-related changes in plant callus using the ‘Spinacia oleracea’ model under microgravity (space environment) and Earth gravity (natural environment) Of the 24 payloads flown in this POEM-4 mission, 14 payloads are from ISRO centres and 10 payloads are from various academia and start-ups. Published - December 22, 2024 10:10 pm IST Copy link Email Facebook Twitter Telegram LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit ISRO / technology (general) / space programme
As far as giants go, they do not come taller in the badminton women’s singles circuit than India’s 1.79m P. V. Sindhu, who has a 2019 world title and an Olympic silver (Rio 2016) and bronze (Tokyo 2020) to match her stature. For five years since their first encounter in 2019, Sindhu has towered over Singapore’s Yeo Jia Min in their head-to-head record, earning four wins without conceding a game. That all changed on Nov 21, when world No. 13 Yeo put aside her 16cm height deficit and produced consistently high-quality badminton to break the hoodoo. She won 21-16, 17-21, 23-21 after a 69-minute match in the US$1.15 million (S$1.55 million) China Masters round of 16 at the Shenzhen Arena. Showing how much the victory meant to her, Yeo screamed and slumped to the ground clenching her fists as she progressed to the Nov 22 quarter-finals, where she will meet Thailand’s world No. 10 Supanida Katethong. “I’m happy to have another breakthrough for myself. Sindhu is tall and has a good smash, so I have to be wise with my shots to restrict her as much as I can, while I attack as well,” said the 25-year-old Singaporean, who had beaten Hong Kong’s Happy Lo 21-7, 21-18 in the first round on Nov 20. In her first win against Sindhu, Yeo seized the initiative from the start to put her more illustrious rival on the back foot with some delicate net shots and disguised drops. She was 12-7 up in the opening game, before the 29-year-old Indian fought back to 15-15. Loh Kean Yew’s coach Kelvin Ho to take over national training squad But with sparring partner Vega Nirwanda in her corner to motivate and remind her “to be brave and not to follow certain habits”, the Singaporean remained calm to take six of the next seven points to clinch her first-ever game against Sindhu. The roles were reversed in the second game as Sindhu raced to a 10-5 lead before Yeo levelled at 16-16, only to lose five of the next six points as the match went to a decider. Putting her long reach to good use, Sindhu built a 13-9 advantage as it looked like normalcy had resumed. But Yeo had other ideas, changing her strategy to include body shots in her repertoire. She also rode her luck, as Sindhu was up 13-10 when she used up her challenges after two unsuccessful attempts. Yeo then won five straight points, and was successful in her own challenge by a whisker for a cross-court net shot. That gave her a fourth match point, which was finally converted after a tight net shot set up a smash which her 19th-ranked rival returned into the net. While she has not won a title in 2024, Yeo has been consistent since the agonising three-game loss to Japan’s Aya Ohori in the Paris Olympics round of 16 in August, reaching the quarter-finals in five out of seven tournaments. The purple patch has also helped her climb to a career-high world No. 13 this week. In 2024, she has also beaten four top-10 players in South Korea’s An Se-young, Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi, China’s Han Yue and Indonesia’s Gregoria Tunjung. Said Yeo: “Today I was able to adapt to Sindhu’s shots and stayed calm to avoid making mistakes. I believe I can be a top-10 player and I have been using the Olympics as motivation to become better because I don’t want to let that defeat bring me down.” National singles coach Kelvin Ho said Yeo has been playing well with her speed and good technique, making it difficult for opponents to predict her shots. “She still needs to work on crucial moments, when it requires her to have killer shots but cut down on unforced errors, especially during high-pressure scenarios,” added Ho, who will become coach of the national training squad in 2025. South Korean Kim Ji-hyun, former coach of Sindhu and Supanida, will take over as women’s singles coach. In the opening round on Nov 19, Singapore’s top men’s singles player Loh Kean Yew could not end his wretched winless run against Indonesia’s Jonatan Christie, who won 21-17, 19-21, 21-11 for his eighth straight victory over Loh.
WASHINGTON — Federal prosecutors moved Monday to dismiss the criminal charges against President-elect Donald Trump that accused him of plotting to overturn the 2020 election and to abandon the classified documents case against him, citing longstanding Justice Department policy that says sitting presidents cannot face criminal prosecution. The decision by special counsel Jack Smith, who had fiercely sought to hold Trump criminally accountable for his efforts to subvert the 2020 election, represented the end of the federal effort against the former president following his election victory this month despite the election-related cases and multiple other unrelated criminal charges against him and is headed back to the White House. The decision, revealed in court filings, also amounts to a predictable but nonetheless stunning conclusion to criminal cases that had been seen as the most perilous of the multiple legal threats Trump has faced. It reflects the practical consequences of Trump’s victory, ensuring he enters office free from scrutiny over his hoarding of top secret documents and his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election he lost to Democrat Joe Biden. Smith’s team emphasized that the move to abandon the prosecutions, in federal courts in Washington and Florida, was not a reflection of their view on the merits of the cases but rather a reflection of their commitment to longstanding department policy. “That prohibition is categorical and does not turn on the gravity of the crimes charged, the strength of the Government’s proof, or the merits of the prosecution, which the Government stands fully behind,” the prosecutors wrote in Monday’s court filing in the election interference case. The decision was expected after Smith's team began assessing how to wind down both the 2020 election interference case and the separate classified documents case in the wake of Trump's victory over Vice President Kamala Harris. The Justice Department believes Trump can no longer be tried in accordance with longstanding policy that says sitting presidents cannot be prosecuted. Trump has cast both cases as politically motivated, and had vowed to fire Smith as soon as he takes office in January. The 2020 election case brought last year was once seen as one of the most serious legal threats facing the Republican as he vied to reclaim the White House. But it quickly stalled amid legal fighting over Trump’s sweeping claims of immunity from prosecution for acts he took while in the White House. The U.S. Supreme Court in July ruled for the first time that former presidents have broad immunity from prosecution, and sent the case back to U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan to determine which allegations in the indictment, if any, could proceed to trial. The case was just beginning to pick up steam again in the trial court in the weeks leading up to this year’s election. Smith’s team in October filed a lengthy brief laying out new evidence they planned to use against him at trial, accusing him of using “resorting to crimes” in an increasingly desperate effort to overturn the will of voters after he lost to Biden.Essex Police have closed an investigation into a journalist for alleged incitement of racial hatred over a post online that has since been deleted. An independent review will be launched into the force’s handling of the case. Telegraph columnist Allison Pearson said she was wearing her dressing gown when she was spoken to by two constables from Essex Police on Remembrance Sunday, about a year-old post on social media platform X, formerly Twitter. News of the visit sparked a backlash, including from former Conservative prime ministers Boris Johnson and Liz Truss, who both called the incident “appalling”, and X owner Elon Musk. Essex Police had been carrying out an investigation under the Public Order Act but said on Thursday that it decided to take “no further action” after the Crown Prosecution Service advised that no charges should be brought. The force added that the National Police Chiefs’ Council hate crime lead has agreed to conduct an independent review into the force’s handling of the matter. An Essex Police spokesman said: “We investigate crimes reported to us without fear or favour. “We’re sometimes faced with allegations of crime where people have strong opposing views. “That’s why we work so hard to remain impartial and to investigate allegations, regardless of where they might lead.” Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch and shadow home secretary Chris Philp called for the guidelines on non-crime hate incidents (NCHIs) to be reviewed in the wake of the case against Ms Pearson being dropped. Very pleased that Essex Police have now dropped this investigation into @AllisonPearson . Journalists should not be getting visits from the police for expressing opinions. The credit goes to Allison for standing her ground. Non-crime hate incident reports have increased... — Kemi Badenoch (@KemiBadenoch) November 21, 2024 Ms Badenoch said in a post on X, formerly Twitter: “Journalists should not be getting visits from the police for expressing opinions. “Non-crime hate incident reports have increased exponentially as they appear to be used beyond the original intentions of the legislation created over 20 years ago. “It’s time to look (yet again) at the guidelines and review whether the overall policy is still fit for purpose.” Mr Philp took to social media to say: “It should never have come to this. The police should not be policing thought or speech. “Police time should only be spent on criminality or behaviour likely to lead imminently to criminality. “I urge the Govt to urgently change the guidelines on NCHIs to stop it happening again.” Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said he was “delighted” the case has been dropped, adding that his party would “repeal” hate speech laws. Speaking on her Planet Normal podcast, Ms Pearson said the visit by Essex Police “upset” her. “Whatever I did or didn’t tweet, if somebody found it offensive, that to me is still not a reason for two policemen to come to my house on a Sunday morning,” she said.By ROB GILLIES, Associated Press TORONTO (AP) — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told Donald Trump that Americans would also suffer if the president-elect follows through on a plan to impose sweeping tariffs on Canadian products , a Canadian minister who attended their recent dinner said Monday. Trump threatened to impose tariffs on products from Canada and Mexico if they don’t stop what he called the flow of drugs and migrants across their borders with the United States. He said on social media last week that he would impose a 25% tax on all products entering the U.S. from Canada and Mexico as one of his first executive orders. Canadian Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc, whose responsibilities include border security, attended a dinner with Trump and Trudeau at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club on Friday. Trudeau requested the meeting in a bid to avoid the tariffs by convincing Trump that the northern border is nothing like the U.S. southern border with Mexico . “The prime minister of course spoke about the importance of protecting the Canadian economy and Canadian workers from tariffs, but we also discussed with our American friends the negative impact that those tariffs could have on their economy, on affordability in the United States as well,” LeBlanc said in Parliament. If Trump makes good on his threat to slap 25% tariffs on everything imported from Mexico and Canada, the price increases that could follow will collide with his campaign promise to give American families a break from inflation. Economists say companies would have little choice but to pass along the added costs, dramatically raising prices for food, clothing, automobiles, alcohol and other goods. The Produce Distributors Association, a Washington trade group, said last week that tariffs will raise prices for fresh fruit and vegetables and hurt U.S. farmers when the countries retaliate. Canada is already examining possible retaliatory tariffs on certain items from the U.S. should Trump follow through on the threat. After his dinner with Trump, Trudeau returned home without assurances the president-elect will back away from threatened tariffs on all products from the major American trading partner. Trump called the talks “productive” but signaled no retreat from a pledge that Canada says unfairly lumps it in with Mexico over the flow of drugs and migrants into the United States. “The idea that we came back empty handed is completely false,” LeBlanc said. “We had a very productive discussion with Mr. Trump and his future Cabinet secretaries. ... The commitment from Mr. Trump to continue to work with us was far from empty handed.” Joining Trump and Trudeau at dinner were Howard Lutnick, Trump’s nominee for commerce secretary, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Trump’s pick to lead the Interior Department, and Mike Waltz, Trump’s choice to be his national security adviser. Canada’s ambassador to the U.S., Kirsten Hillman, told The Associated Press on Sunday that “the message that our border is so vastly different than the Mexican border was really understood.” Hillman, who sat at an adjacent table to Trudeau and Trump, said Canada is not the problem when it comes to drugs and migrants. On Monday, Mexico’s president rejected those comments. “Mexico must be respected, especially by its trading partners,” President Claudia Sheinbaum said. She said Canada had its own problems with fentanyl consumption and “could only wish they had the cultural riches Mexico has.” Flows of migrants and seizures of drugs at the two countries’ border are vastly different. U.S. customs agents seized 43 pounds of fentanyl at the Canadian border during the last fiscal year, compared with 21,100 pounds at the Mexican border. Most of the fentanyl reaching the U.S. — where it causes about 70,000 overdose deaths annually — is made by Mexican drug cartels using precursor chemicals smuggled from Asia. On immigration, the U.S. Border Patrol reported 1.53 million encounters with migrants at the southwest border with Mexico between October 2023 and September 2024. That compares to 23,721 encounters at the Canadian border during that time. Canada is the top export destination for 36 U.S. states. Nearly $3.6 billion Canadian (US$2.7 billion) worth of goods and services cross the border each day. About 60% of U.S. crude oil imports are from Canada, and 85% of U.S. electricity imports as well. Canada is also the largest foreign supplier of steel, aluminum and uranium to the U.S. and has 34 critical minerals and metals that the Pentagon is eager for and investing for national security.
Chandigarh: The Haryana government has notified the procurement of 24 crops at a minimum support price (MSP), extending the list of 14 farm produces that were earlier eligible for guaranteed rates under public procurement system. The state cabinet of the previous government, which was also headed by Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini , already approved the proposal of buying 10 additional crops at MSP. The decision on MSP for additional crops was announced on August 5, months before the assembly polls in October. Till August, government agencies used to procure 14 crops at MSP. According the latest notification dated December 19, the then Council of Ministers, in its meeting held on August 5, decided to purchase ragi, soybean, nigerseed, safflower, barley, maize, jowar, jute, copra and summer moong at the minimum support price. The notification said, this was in addition to the crops that were already being procured, including paddy, bajra, kharif moong, urd, arhar, wheat and mustard. While campaigning for the October 5 Haryana assembly polls, the ruling BJP had said that the decision of MSP was part of the government's several measures for farmers' welfare. 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A few days ago, Saini had said the AAP government in Punjab must talk to the farmers to address their grievances. His remarks had come amid ongoing agitation by farmers, under the banner of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, who have been camping at Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 after their march to Delhi was stopped by security forces. A "jatha" (group) of 101 farmers made three attempts to enter Delhi on foot between December 6 and 14, but they were stopped by security personnel in Haryana. Punjab farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal (70) has been on a fast-unto-death at the Khanauri border point between Punjab and Haryana to press the Centre to accept the agitating farmers' demands, including a legal guarantee of MSP on crops. His fast entered 27th day on Sunday. (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel )Is the world more dangerous than ever for travelers? 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Lucknow: Aam Aadmi Party MP and UP in-charge Sanjay Singh on Monday demanded a judicial probe into the Sambhal violence and the death of at least five Muslim youths in alleged police firing. Calling BJP the ‘Bharatiya Jhagada Party', Singh alleged that the violence was sponsored by it and by the CM. Singh posed certain questions to govt and others, claiming that there were discrepancies in the various versions of the incident. IPL 2025 mega auction IPL Auction 2025: Who went where and for how much IPL 2025: Complete list of players of each franchise "On Nov 19, a survey was ordered at 4pm, started at 6:30pm, and concluded within a few hours. On Nov 24, on which BJP functionary's instructions did the DM order another survey? How was an order given without hearing all parties? According to the law, surveys can only be conducted from 10am to 5pm, so how was a survey started after 6:30pm on Nov 19 and at 7am on Nov 24?" he asked. Singh said this was BJP's strategy to incite young people in the state on religious grounds. "On one hand, Amit Shah's son will conduct billion-dollar businesses with Dubai's sheikhs, and on the other hand, unemployed youth in UP will be provoked in the name of religion to fight among themselves, providing political advantage to BJP. This is the real strategy of BJP being implemented in UP," he said. The violence, he said, was BJP's attempt to spread confusion and fear in the state to spoil the atmosphere for their political gain.
Forum: Fixed rent system for hawker stalls would remove focus on bid pricesI literally just added these to my cart because I keep losing AirPods, and they're on sale for a really cheap price (just $25!) at Amazon's Cyber Monday sale. The JBL Tune 510BT have over 50,000 positive reviews on Amazon and are one of the best-selling headphones on the site. The over-ear headphones come with JBL's renowned Pure Bass sound to deliver powerful audio and feature Wireless Bluetooth 5.0 Streaming, so you can stream music and podcasts and take calls from your device. JBL Tune 510BT headphones: was $49.95 now $24.95 at Amazon This little appliance has been on my wish list to help me keep my New Year's resolution of keeping my car clean. It has over 100,000 positive reviews on Amazon, and thanks to today's Cyber Monday sale, it's on sale for just $39.99—the lowest price we've seen all year and just $2 shy of the record low. The handheld vacuum is lightweight, portable, easy to recharge, and has a crevice tool to clean hard-to-reach areas. It's an Amazon best-seller rarely on sale, so you should snap up today's discount. Black+Decker Dustbuster Handheld Vacuum: was $59.99 now $39.99 There were a lot of disappointed faces in the TechRadar office when we saw the Kindle deals over Amazon Prime Day and the Prime Big Deal Days sale. A lot of us – and I'm sure many of you too – pinned a lot of hopes on big discounts during those Amazon-exclusive sales. And there wasn't much to be excited about at all. At least there's been some improvement in the Cyber Monday sales, with both the latest Kindle and Kindle Paperwhite getting their first-ever price cuts. Sure, both ereaders are nowhere near as cheap as I've seen previous versions in the past, but these are still decent offers for the new and improved models with bigger screens and longer battery life. I'm confident in saying these will likely be the best offers we see until at least July next year, so don't miss your chance to get a discount before the Amazon Cyber Monday sale ends later tonight. Kindle: was $109.99 now $84.99 at Amazon Kindle Paperwhite: was $159.99 now $129.99 at Amazon There's one Cyber Monday deal ending tonight that you need to see above the rest. It's this offer on Hulu that's already proved tremendously popular over the last few days. And, honestly, I can see why. You can pay just $0.99 per month for a Hulu subscription with ads, which saves you almost $100 over a year's membership. There's also an option to bundle it with Disney Plus for a measly $2.99 a month – another huge bargain for both streaming services. This one ends today, though, so it's definitely one I'd pull the trigger on as soon as possible. ENDS TONIGHT – Get Hulu for $0.99 per month This would make a GREAT stocking stuffer idea – the wildly popular Apple AirTag 4-pack is on sale for its lowest price yet. The Apple AirTag is a handy Bluetooth location-tracking device that pairs with your iPhone. If you're like me and tend to misplace your keys or wallet, just attach the AirTag to anything you don't want to lose, and your iPhone will locate the item with Precision Finding technology. Apple AirTag (4-pack): was $99 now $69.99 at Amazon I already own the third-generation Echo Dot and can't imagine life without it. The smart speaker plays music, answers any question I throw at it, and tells me the weather forecast - all I have to do is ask Alexa. The compact Echo Pop is Amazon's latest smart speaker. It shares all the same features I love about the Echo Dot but in a more compact design. The best part? Amazon's Cyber Monday sale has included a free Amazon Basics Smart Color Bulb for just $17.99 - a massive 66% discount. Echo Pop + Amazon Basics Smart Color Bulb: was $39.99 now $17.99 at Amazon If you're looking for the cheapest Cyber Monday OLED TV deal, Best Buy has LG's excellent 48-inch B4 OLED TV on sale for $599.99 - an incredible price for an OLED display. LG's B4 self-lit OLED pixels and Dolby Vision together enhance color and contrast beyond what the average backlit TV can do. Its built-in gaming features and 120Hz refresh rate make it an unbeatable deal for gamers looking for an upgrade. LG 48-inch B4 OLED TV: was $1,499.99 now $599.99 at Best Buy Welcome to this afternoon's live coverage of all the best Cyber Monday deals still available. While there are just hours left until most offers expire, there are plenty of deals to shop from retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart. I'll highlight all the top offers on tech gadgets, appliances, and beauty items from brands like Apple, Samsung, Bissell, Dyson, Sony, and Keurig. The TechRadar team has also reviewed most of the products listed in the guide so we can help you find the right product at the lowest price possible. Remember that Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart's Cyber Monday sales end tonight, and this might be your last chance to score your dream purchase at a record-low price. Ending soon: 75 best Amazon Cyber Monday deals I'd recommend as a five year sales veteran I took the term LEGO house quite literally and now I have no more space for these excellent LEGO Cyber Monday deals Trust me, you shouldn’t let Cyber Monday pass without scoring a deal on one of these bricktastic Lego setsPressley: Biden 'must act' on clemency before leaving office
US budget airlines are struggling. Will pursuing premium passengers solve their problems? DALLAS (AP) — Delta and United Airlines have become the most profitable U.S. airlines by targeting premium customers while also winning a significant share of budget travelers. That is squeezing smaller low-fare carriers like Spirit Airlines, which filed for bankruptcy protection on Monday. Some travel industry experts think Spirit’s troubles indicate less-wealthy passengers will have fewer choices and higher prices. Other discount airlines are on better financial footing but also are lagging far behind the full-service airlines when it comes to recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. Most industry experts think Frontier and other so-called ultra-low-cost carriers will fill the vacuum if Spirit shrinks, and that there's still plenty of competition to prevent prices from spiking. Bitcoin ticks closer to $100,000 in extended surge following US elections NEW YORK (AP) — Bitcoin is jumping again, setting another new high above $99,000 overnight. The cryptocurrency has been shattering records almost daily since the U.S. presidential election, and has rocketed more than 40% higher in just two weeks. It's now at the doorstep of $100,000. Cryptocurrencies and related investments like crypto exchange-traded funds have rallied because the incoming Trump administration is expected to be more “crypto-friendly.” Still, as with everything in the volatile cryptoverse, the future is hard to predict. And while some are bullish, other experts continue to warn of investment risks. Australia rejects Elon Musk's claim that it plans to control access to the internet MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — An Australian Cabinet minister has rejected X Corp. owner Elon Musk’s allegation that the government intends to control all Australians' access to the internet through legislation that would ban young children from social media. Treasurer Jim Chalmers said on Friday that Musk’s criticism was “unsurprising” after the government introduced legislation to Parliament that would fine platforms including X up to $133 million for allowing children under 16 to hold social media accounts. The spat continues months of open hostility between the Australian government and the tech billionaire over regulators’ efforts to reduce public harm from social media. Parliament could pass the legislation as soon as next week. Oil company Phillips 66 faces federal charges related to alleged Clean Water Act violations LOS ANGELES (AP) — Oil company Phillips 66 has been federally indicted in connection with alleged violations of the Clean Water Act in California. The Texas-based company is accused of discharging hundreds of thousands of gallons of industrial wastewater containing excessive amounts of oil and grease. The U.S. Department of Justice announced the indictment on Thursday. Phillips is charged with two counts of negligently violating the Clean Water Act and four counts of knowingly violating the Clean Water Act. An arraignment date has not been set. A spokesperson for the company said it was cooperating with prosecutors. US regulators seek to break up Google, forcing Chrome sale as part of monopoly punishment U.S. regulators want a federal judge to break up Google to prevent the company from continuing to squash competition through its dominant search engine after a court found it had maintained an abusive monopoly over the past decade. The proposed breakup floated in a 23-page document filed late Wednesday by the U.S. Justice Department calls for Google to sell its industry-leading Chrome web browser and impose restrictions designed to prevent Android from favoring its search engine. Regulators also want to ban Google from forging multibillion-dollar deals to lock in its dominant search engine as the default option on Apple’s iPhone and other devices. What you need to know about the proposed measures designed to curb Google's search monopoly U.S. regulators are proposing aggressive measures to restore competition to the online search market after a federal judge ruled that Google maintained an illegal monopoly. The sweeping set of recommendations filed late Wednesday could radically alter Google’s business. Regulators want Google to sell off its industry-leading Chrome web browser. They outlined a range of behavioral measures such as prohibiting Google from using search results to favor its own services such as YouTube, and forcing it to license search index data to its rivals. They're not going as far as to demand Google spin off Android, but are leaving that door open if the remedies don't work. Stock market today: Wall Street gains ground as it heads for a winning week NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks gained ground on Wall Street, keeping the market on track for its fifth gain in a row. The S&P 500 was up 0.4% in afternoon trading Friday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 351 points and the Nasdaq composite rose 0.2%. Retailers had some of the biggest gains. Gap soared after reporting quarterly results that easily beat analysts' estimates. EchoStar fell after DirecTV called of its purchase of that company's Dish Network unit. European markets were mostly higher and Asian markets ended mixed. Treasury yields held relatively steady in the bond market. Crude oil prices gained ground. Apple and Google face UK investigation into mobile browser dominance LONDON (AP) — A British watchdog says Apple and Google aren't giving consumers a genuine choice of mobile web browsers. The watchdog's report Friday recommends they face an investigation under new U.K. digital rules taking effect next year. The Competition and Markets Authority took aim at Apple, saying the iPhone maker’s tactics hold back innovation by stopping rivals from giving users new features like faster webpage loading. The CMA’s report also found that Apple and Google manipulate the choices given to mobile phone users to make their own browsers “the clearest or easiest option.” Apple said it disagreed with the findings. German auto supplier Bosch to cut 5,500 jobs in further sign of carmakers' woes FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Germany's technology and services company Bosch is cutting its automotive division workforce by as many as 5,500 jobs in the next several years, in another sign of the headwinds hitting the German and global auto industries. The company cited stagnating global auto sales, too much factory capacity in the auto industry compared to sales prospects and a slower than expected transition to electric-powered, software-controlled vehicles. Some 3,500 of the job reductions would come before the end of 2027 and would hit the part of the company that develops driver assistance and automated driving technologies. About half those job reductions would be at locations in Germany. At least 15 people are sick in Minnesota from ground beef tied to E. coli recall U.S. health officials say at least 15 people in Minnesota have been sickened by E. coli poisoning tied to a national recall of more than 160,000 pounds of potentially tainted ground beef. Detroit-based Wolverine Packing Co. recalled the meat this week after Minnesota state agriculture officials reported multiple illnesses and found that a sample of the product tested positive for E. coli O157:H7, which can cause life-threatening infections. Symptoms of E. coli poisoning include fever, vomiting, diarrhea and signs of dehydration.
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PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Haiti’s health minister has been removed from his post following a deadly gang attack on the largest public hospital in the capital, Port-au-Prince , government officials said Thursday. According to two government officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the subject, Health Minister Duckenson Lorthe will be replaced by Justice Minister Patrick Pelissier until a new health minister is found. Two journalists and a police officer were killed Tuesday as gang members burst into the General Hospital and fired indiscriminately at reporters who were there to cover the facility’s reopening. It was one of the worst attacks on Haitian media in recent memory. Seven other journalists were wounded. Jean Feguens Regala, a photographer who survived the attack , said journalists had been invited to the hospital by the health ministry but there was little security at the site. “The fact that the minister of health invited us, you feel that preparations have been made already,” Regala told The Associated Press. “When we made contact with a police unit, the police told us they were not aware of the event.” RELATED COVERAGE A survivor of the worst gang attack on Haitian journalists says colleagues were cut down by bullets A Haiti gang attack on the reopening of a main hospital kills 2 reporters and a police officer A gang leader in Haiti is accused of massacring older people to avenge his son’s death The health minister did not show up at the event, for reasons that have not been explained. Shortly after the attack, Johnson “Izo” André — considered Haiti’s most powerful gang leader and part of the Viv Ansanm group of gangs that has taken control of much of Port-au-Prince — posted a video on social media claiming responsibility for the attack. The video said the gang coalition had not authorized the hospital’s reopening. Gang violence has worsened in Haiti, with coordinated gang attacks on prisons, police stations and the main international airport crippling the country’s capital and plunging Haiti into an unprecedented crisis. Gangs are believed to control 85% of Port-au-Prince. The Caribbean country has struggled to organize an election that will restore democratic rule, and is currently governed by a transitional council made up of representatives of political parties, business groups and civil society organizations.