Wednesday, 7 November 2018
What We Don’t Know About Amazon’s Split HQ2
States, cities and counties often run their own incentive programs, each with different requirements. New York State, for example, provides tax credits to employers that move to certain parts of boroughs beyond Manhattan. Many experts expect large deals like this to come with offerings that would require state legislative approval. Usually they involve little public debate. After just a 10-minute public comment period, Apple got $213 million in state and local incentives to build a data center in Iowa, according to The Des Moines Register.
New York offered potentially hundreds of millions of dollars in subsidies, according to a person briefed on the process.
While Virginia has a reputation for being business friendly, it is not known for particularly outsize incentive programs. Greg LeRoy, executive director of Good Jobs First, which tracks corporate subsidies, said he expected that the legislature would pass a larger package just for Amazon.
In New York, Amazon could also benefit — directly or indirectly — from a provision in the tax overhaul that President Trump signed last year. To spur investment in “distressed” parts of America, the provision creates so-called opportunity zones, which were selected this year by governors and approved by the Treasury Department. Projects in those zones can reduce capital gains taxes and avoid those taxes entirely on profits from an investment held for more than a decade.
There are a dozen opportunity zones in Long Island City, including in several areas marked for business development.
Proposed program regulations from the Treasury Department would prevent Amazon from reaping the largest possible windfall of the tax break, because most of its business is outside the zone. But Amazon could set up a real estate company to buy land for the headquarters or surrounding buildings — and avoid any potential capital gains taxes if it ended up selling the property. Or it could lease the land from another developer that invests in the zone, insisting on more favorable leasing terms because the landlord is in line to reap opportunity zone tax benefits.
“Amazon coming, plus the opportunity zone incentive, is a huge gift to whoever owns the land in Long Island City,” said Brett Theodos, a principal research associate at the Urban Institute, a nonpartisan research group. “Now, if Amazon is a shrewd negotiator, they’re going to say: ‘We don’t have to come here. We want a piece of that.’”
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Where’s the accountability Facebook? – TechCrunch
Facebook has yet again declined an invitation for its founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg to answer international politicians’ questions about how disinformation spreads on his platform and undermines democratic processes.
But policymakers aren’t giving up — and have upped the ante by issuing a fresh invitation signed by representatives from another three national parliaments. So the call for global accountability is getting louder.
Now representatives from a full five parliaments have signed up to an international grand committee calling for answers from Zuckerberg, with Argentina, Australia and Ireland joining the UK and Canada to try to pile political pressure on Facebook.
The UK’s Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) committee has been asking for Facebook’s CEO to attend its multi-month enquiry for the best part of this year, without success…
In its last request the twist was it came not just from the DCMS inquiry into online disinformation but also the Canadian Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics.
This year policymakers on both sides of the Atlantic have been digging down the rabbit hole of online disinformation — before and since the Cambridge Analytica scandal erupted into a major global scandal — announcing last week they will form an ‘international grand committee’ to further their enquiries.
The two committees will convene for a joint hearing in the UK parliament on November 27 — and they want Zuckerberg to join them to answer questions related to the “platform’s malign use in world affairs and democratic process”, as they put it in their invitation letter.
Facebook has previously despatched a number of less senior representatives to talk to policymakers probing damages caused by disinformation — including its CTO, Mike Schroepfer, who went before the DCMS committee in April.
But both Schroepfer and Zuckerberg have admitted the accountability buck stops with Facebook’s CEO.
The company’s nine-month-old ‘Privacy Principles‘ also makes the following claim [emphasis ours]:
We are accountable
In addition to comprehensive privacy reviews, we put products through rigorous data security testing. We also meet with regulators, legislators and privacy experts around the world to get input on our data practices and policies.
The increasingly pressing question, though, is to whom is Facebook actually accountable?
Zuckerberg went personally to the US House and Senate to face policymakers’ questions in April. He also attended a meeting of the EU parliament’s Conference of Presidents in May.
But the rest of the world continues being palmed off with minions. Despite some major, major harms.
Facebook’s 2BN+ user platform does not stop at the US border. And Zuckerberg himself has conceded the company probably wouldn’t be profitable without its international business.
Yet so far only the supranational EU parliament has managed to secure a public meeting with Facebook’s CEO. And MEPs there had to resort to heckling Zuckerberg to try to get answers to their actual questions.
“Facebook say that they remain “committed to working with our committees to provide any additional relevant information” that we require. Yet they offer no means of doing this,” tweeted DCMS chair Damian Collins today, reissuing the invitation for Zuckerberg. “The call for accountability is growing, with representatives from 5 parliaments now meeting on the 27th.”
The letter to Facebook’s CEO notes that the five nations represent 170 million Facebook users.
“We call on you once again to take up your responsibility to Facebook users, and speak in person to their elected representatives,” it adds.
The UK’s information commissioner said yesterday that Facebook needs to overhaul its business model, giving evidence to parliament on the “unprecedented” data investigation her office has been running which was triggered by the Cambridge Analytica scandal. She also urged policymakers to strengthen the rules on the use of people’s data for digital campaigning.
Last month the European parliament also called for Facebook to let in external auditors in the wake of Cambridge Analytica, to ensure users’ data is being properly protected — yet another invitation Facebook has declined.
Meanwhile an independent report assessing the company’s human rights impact in Myanmar — which Facebook commissioned but chose to release yesterday on the eve of the US midterms when most domestic eyeballs would be elsewhere — agreed with the UN’s damning assessment that Facebook did not do enough to prevent its platform from being used to incite ethical violence.
The report also said Facebook is still not doing enough in Myanmar.
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Google employees across the globe are walking out now to protest sexual harassment – TechCrunch
Google employees are fed up with the search giant’s lack of transparency when it comes to handling sexual harassment and misconduct allegations.
This morning, thousands of Googlers from San Francisco to Dublin are walking out in hopes of bringing real change to the company. The protest follows a New York Times report last week that revealed Google had provided Android co-creator Andy Rubin a $90 million payout package despite credible allegations of sexual misconduct made against him.
The protestors have five key asks:
- An end to forced arbitration in cases of harassment and discrimination.
- A commitment to end pay and opportunity inequity.
- A publicly disclosed sexual harassment transparency report.
- A clear, uniform, globally inclusive process for reporting sexual misconduct safely and anonymously.
- Elevate the chief diversity officer to answer directly to the chief executive officer and make recommendations directly to the board of directors. And appoint an employee representative to the board.
Plans of the walkout emerged earlier this week, just days after the bombshell NYT report was released. According to BuzzFeed, some 200 Googlers began staging the protest; the group quickly grew to thousands, including non-U.S. Googlers. Google CEO Sundar Pichai had reportedly condoned the protest in an internal e-mail to employees Tuesday.
“Earlier this week, we let Googlers know that we are aware of the activities planned for today and that employees will have the support they need if they wish to participate,” Pichai said in a statement provided to TechCrunch today. “Employees have raised constructive ideas for how we can improve our policies and our processes going forward. We are taking in all their feedback so we can turn these ideas into action.”
Pichai also responded to the NYT report with a letter co-signed by vice president of people operations Eileen Naughton, admitting that 48 people had been terminated at the company for sexual harassment in the past two years alone, including 13 senior employees.
We’ll be at the San Francisco protest, which begins at 11:10 a.m. PST. Here’s a look at protestors around the globe this morning.
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Grab pulls in $250M from Hyundai as ongoing round reaches $2.7B – TechCrunch
Grab, the Singapore startup that bought Uber’s Southeast Asia business earlier this year, continues to announce strategic investors for its ongoing Series H funding round. The latest edition revealed today is Korean automotive firm Hyundai, which is investing $250 million.
Hyundai first invested in Grab in January, and it joins recently announced investors Microsoft (undisclosed) and Booking Holdings ($200 million) in the round, which is aimed at reaching at least $3 billion before the end of this year. Grab first announced a $1 billion investment from Toyota in June and that was doubled to $2 billion when a range of institutional backers joined. Those include OppenheimerFunds, Ping An Capital, Mirae Asset-Naver Asia Growth Fund, Lightspeed Venture Partners and Macquarie Capital, and today Grab disclosed two others: Goldman Sachs Investment Partners and Citi Ventures.
In total, these additions take that Series H round to $2.7 billion so far, Grab said. That means that Grab, which is valued at over $11 billion, has now raised more than $6 billion from investors including SoftBank and China’s Didi. That’s a figure that extends its record for a startup in Southeast Asia. Grab claims 125 million downloads across its eight markets in Southeast Asia and over 2.5 billion rides completed to date, up from two billion in July.
Like Toyota, Microsoft and travel giant Booking — which was formerly known as Priceline — Hyundai’s involvement includes a fairly hefty strategic portion: electric vehicles.
Grab said that it will work with the Korea firm introduce a series of EV pilots in Southeast Asia that’ll feature Hyundai and Hyundai-owned Kia vehicles. The companies began working on the rollout of Hyundai’s IONIQ vehicle in Singapore earlier this year and now they will add Kia EVs and explore opportunities beyond Singapore.
(Right to left) Euisun Chung, Executive Vice Chairman of Hyundai Motor Group, and Anthony Tan, Grab CEO, mark the new $250 million investment deal [Image via Bloomberg New Economy Forum]
Grab has an EV fleet in Singapore — size undisclosed — and it is working with Singapore Power to roll out a network of charging hubs and packages for Grab EV drivers as it expands that EV presence in the country. But this Hyundai partnership would represent its first EV foray into other markets in Southeast Asia, which has a cumulative population of more than 600 million consumers, although it didn’t name which markets or give a timeframe.
As in Singapore, Grab said its EV strategy will include engaging governments and “infrastructure players” to set up the right conditions for EVs, such as charging networks, maintenance packages for drivers and general research into how EVs perform in more humid environments.
Beyond the EV plans, Grab’s Series H is being put aside for a number of ventures which include its push to become an all-in-one ‘super app’ that goes beyond transportation to cover food deliveries, services on-demand, payments and fintech services, and more. There’s also likely an allocation for competition because, although Grab consumed Uber’s local business in the region, Indonesia-based rival Go-Jek is expanding in the region.
Go-Jek, which is aiming to raise $2 billion in its latest funding round according to sources, has entered Vietnam, is in the process of launching in Thailand and has just begun recruiting drivers for a Singapore rollout. That means Grab needs to keep a substantial amount of powder dry in case of the (likely) event that its battle with Go-Jek descends into a discount war, as was often the case during its rivalry with Uber.
That explains why it is raising an enormous $3 billion round despite having already removed Uber from the region via the buyout deal, which saw the U.S. ride-hailing giant take a 27.5 percent stake in Grab.
That deal, by the way, didn’t really go as planned. Not only was Grab over ambitious on the logistics, including plans to consume most of Uber’s 500 staff, but it misread the public reaction and incurred the wrath of regulators. Singapore’s consumer watchdog hit Uber and Grab with a total of $9.5 million in fines for the “anti-competitive” merger, while the pair got a lighter reprimand in the Philippines.
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Oath is dead. Long live Verizon Media Group/Oath – TechCrunch
Friends, readers, internet browsers, lend me your ears;
I come to bury Oath, not to praise it.
The subsidiary brands that companies own live after them;
Their terrible rebranding is oft interred with their bones;
So let it be with Oath. The new Verizon chief executive,
Hans Vestberg, told you Oath was ambitious:
If it were so, it was a grievous ambition,
And grievously hath Oath answer’d it.
Here, under leave of Vestberg and the rest of Verizon’s leadership —
Come I to speak in Oath’s funeral.
It was TechCrunch’s parent company, distant and somewhat comical to me:
But Vestberg says it was ambitious;
And Vestberg is an honourable man.
Oath did merge Yahoo and AOL under one brand
Whose ad networks and media outlets (like TechCrunch and HuffPo) did the Verizon coffers fill:
Did this in Oath seem ambitious?
When that the Go90 staff have cried, Oath hath wept:
Ambition should be made of sterner stuff:
Yet Vestberg says it was ambitious;
And Vestberg is an honourable man.
Y’all saw that when the merger was first proposed
I said it was a really bad idea,
But my parent company didn’t listen to me: was this ambition?
Yet Vestberg says Oath was ambitious;
And, sure, he is an honourable man.
I write not to disprove what Verizon issued in a press release,
But here I am to speak what I do know.
Y’all thought the branding was terrible, not without cause:
So don’t let us stop you now from mocking it.
O judgment! You were lost when branding was left to brutish beasts,
And men with no reason. Bear with me;
My LOLZ are in the coffin there with Oath,
And I must pause till I can stop cackling.
Anyway, Oath is now going to be Verizon Media Group/Oath as part of a corporate restructuring undertaken by Verizon’s CEO, Vestberg. The company is going to operate under three different business units — a Consumer Group, led by Ronan Dunne, a current executive vice president of Verizon and president of Verizon Wireless; a Business Group, led by Tami Erwin, currently executive vice president of wireless operations — which will focus on government, small and medium businesses, large business customers, and operate the company’s telematics arm; and a Media Group / Oath, which will be led by Guru Gowrappan, currently Oath’s chief executive.
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Alibaba rival JD.com plays the long-game on technology investment – TechCrunch
China’s JD.com has made it clear recently that it’s venturing into artificial intelligence and automation. Every few months over the past year, the online retailer – China’s second-largest by transactions after Alibaba – has unveiled new products based on cutting-edge technology: for example drone delivery, self-driving trucks, fully automated warehouses, to name a few.
Most of these technologies are still in their testing phase and JD’s ever expanding technology investment is already eating into its profitability.
In the second quarter, the retail titan’s technology expenses were up over 70 percent year-over-year for the third consecutive quarter, costing the company 2.8 billion yuan, or $400 million. Net income slipped more than 50 percent to 478 million yuan, versus 977 million yuan last year.
By comparison, marketing and fulfilment, which traditionally make up the bulk of JD’s overall operating expenses, grew at less than 30 percent over the same period.
When will JD start to seriously capitalize on its technologies? When it can do things at scale, according to the company’s head of technology.
“If there is no scale, there is saving,” JD’s chief technology officer Zhang Chen told a group of reporters in Beijing on Tuesday.
“If you build something, you want other people to use that. It takes a lot of time to make a product perfect before you say it’s done. AI is all about iteration and how much data you get,” Zhang continued.
As of August, JD had over 314 million annual active user accounts. That’s a sizable chunk of China’s 800 million internet users (even given the fact that people may hold more than one accounts). Its archival Alibaba, however, reached twice the size of JD at 601 million annual active customers in September.
Alibaba also enjoys much wider profit margins than JD, thanks to a light-asset platform approach that connects vendors to consumers and derives the bulk of its revenue from advertising. JD, on the other hand, runs a more costly model that sees it operates most of the supply chain and deliver goods from warehouses to customers – like Amazon .
Alibaba’s operating margin in Q3 stood at 16 percent, while JD posted a 0.8 percent non-GAAP operating margin in Q2. That said, Alibaba has also suffered a margin squeeze in recent quarters as it continues to invest heavily in offline operations such as food delivery.
To secure more user traffic, JD has been leaning on its ties with Tencent, a major shareholder in its business and the builder behind the massively popular WeChat messenger. While Alibaba’s e-store links are blocked on WeChat, JD runs smoothly through a “mini program,” a light-weight application that runs inside WeChat’s interface that allows buyers to bypass app stores.
It’s unclear how much traffic WeChat brings over to JD. But WeChat has proven to be an effective channel for acquiring ecommerce users. This is evident in the case of group-buying app Pinduoduo, which started out as a WeChat mini program. In June, the three-year-old company leapfrogged JD in mobile penetration to reach 26.2 percent, according to data services provider Jiguang.
Pinduoduo’s rise was so impressive that its shares popped 40 percent in their first day of trading on NASDAQ in July though later nosedived following accusations over fake goods sold on the ecommerce platform.
Counterfeiting is a decade-old problem in the Chinese internet, tarnishing the name of both Alibaba’s online bazaar Taobao and even JD, which boasts of its authenticity of direct sales.
JD has also been looking overseas for growth. In August, Google poured $550 million in JD as part of a strategic partnership to help the Chinese company grab more users around the world. While JD’s vice president of strategy Ling Chenkai did not reveal details on the firm’s European plans when asked by TechCrunch on Tuesday, he assured going global has always been “an aspiration” for JD and partnership will play a key role amid the process.
But JD understands that it can’t always fall back on its partnerships, even with its close allies.
“Every company protects its data like [there will be] none tomorrow, even with strategic partners. Data sharing is a very serious business,” says Zhang the CTO.
“Most Chinese companies have a really big security team,” he observed, adding that while partners do not directly share data, they collaborate by exchanging user insights.
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Facebook connects Russia to 100+ accounts it removed ahead of mid-terms – TechCrunch
The 115 accounts Facebook took down yesterday for inauthentic behavior ahead of the mid-term elections may indeed have been linked to the Russia-based Internet Research Agency, according to a new statement from the company. It says that a site claiming association with the IRA today posted a list of Instagram accounts it had made which included many Facebook had taken down yesterday, and it also has since removed the rest. The IRA was previously llabeled as responsible for using Facebook to interfere with US politics and the 2016 Presidential election.
Facebook’s head of cyber security policy Nathaniel Gleicher issued this statement to TechCrunch:
“Last night, following a tip off from law enforcement, we blocked over 100 Facebook and Instagram accounts due to concerns that they were linked to the Russia-based Internet Research Agency (IRA) and engaged in coordinated inauthentic behavior, which is banned from our services. This evening a website claiming to be associated with the IRA published a list of Instagram accounts they claim to have created. We had already blocked most of these accounts yesterday, and have now blocked the rest. This is a timely reminder that these bad actors won’t give up — and why it’s so important we work with the US government and other technology companies to stay ahead.”
Yesterday, Facebook had published that it would provide an update on whether the removed accounts were connected to Russia, as some were in Russian languages:
“On Sunday evening, US law enforcement contacted us about online activity that they recently discovered and which they believe may be linked to foreign entities . . . Almost all the Facebook Pages associated with these accounts appear to be in the French or Russian languages, while the Instagram accounts seem to have mostly been in English — some were focused on celebrities, others political debate . . . Typically, we would be further along with our analysis before announcing anything publicly. But given that we are only one day away from important elections in the US, we wanted to let people know about the action we’ve taken and the facts as we know them today. Once we know more — including whether these accounts are linked to the Russia-based Internet Research Agency or other foreign entities — we will update this post.”
Attribution of foreign interference into politics via social media can be difficult to accurately attribute, however. Facebook could have provided stronger wording in this update regarding its own evidence about the connection between Russia and the 80 Facebook accounts and 35 Instagram accounts it removed yesterday. Now with the mid-term results being counted, we’ll see if politicians or researchers suggest election interference could have influenced any of the results.
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UK energy price cap to save customers 1 billion pounds a year from January 1
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Tuesday, 6 November 2018
NHS emergency care in crisis all year round
The NHS is facing a crisis in emergency care all year round, doctors have said.
England’s emergency care services are performing as badly in the summer as they have in previous winters, according to the British Medical Association.
The BMA examined monthly data on emergency admissions, trolley waits for more than four hours and A&E patients seen within four hours.
They compared winter months and summer months in England from 2011 onwards.
They found that the rate of compliance with the four-hour waiting target was lower last summer than it was during the winters of 2011 to 2015.
Also, 200,000 more patients waited on a trolley for more than four hours last winter than during winter 2011.
Dr Chaand Nagpaul, chairman of council at the BMA, blamed funding and staffing shortages along with increased demand.
He said: “These figures lay bare the long-term underfunding of emergency care services in England that have experienced years of declining budgets and staff shortages at a time when patient demand has rocketed.
“It is shocking that the number of patients waiting more than four hours for treatment on trolleys has increased seven-fold during the winter months since 2011, with almost 200,000 more patients left in this appalling situation.
“Compliance with the four-hour waiting time target has dropped 11% since 2011 and even during the supposedly quieter summer period there have been similar declines.
“Most worryingly, the pressure on the NHS has developed into an all year crisis.”
Dr Simon Walsh, an emergency care doctor and member of the BMA’s consultants committee, added: “Tens of thousands of patients are being left in crowded, cramped corridors, waiting for treatment while others are having to endure longer waits to even see a doctor or nurse.”
An NHS England spokesman said: “The NHS’s extensive planning for winter is already well under way, with access to clinical advice through NHS 111 and evening and weekend GP appointments improving people’s access to care, plus action by hospitals and local councils to free up beds by reducing long stays.
“Staff getting vaccinated against flu will also help reduce the pressure on services over winter.”
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Pat Howard pushed out early as Cricket Australia purge continues
Pat Howard and Ben Amarfio, two of Cricket Australia’s most polarising executives, have been jointly ousted by the new chief executive Kevin Roberts amid a significant management restructuring in the wake of a scathing cultural review of the governing body.
Howard, who took his role in 2011 in the wake of the Argus review, had indicated he would not renew his contract when it expired next year, but new CA CEO Kevin Roberts has hastened his departure, which will now take place next week. Amarfio was key to the new AUD1.18billion broadcast deal that was struck earlier this year, a move that took some of Australian home cricket off free-to-air-TV.
The creation of the win-at-all-costs environment that was highlighted in the Longstaff review has fallen significantly at Howard’s feet.
“While Pat Howard has previously made clear his intentions not to renew his contract next year, it has been decided to bring forward his departure which will take effect next week after a handover,” a CA said in a statement.
It continues the high-profile exits around Australian cricket which in recent days has seen chairman David Peever resign and long-serving board director Mark Taylor stand down. James Sutherland also recently brought an end to his 17-year tenure as CEO.
Belinda Clark, the former Australia captain, will take on an interim role as executive general manager of team performance while a recruitment process has been undertaken to replace Howard.
Stephanie Beltrame, previously the general manager of media rights, will move into a new role as interim EGM Broadcasting and Commercial.
The CA digital team, previously under Amarfio, will be moved to the Events and Leagues department under Anthony Everard with the department being renamed Fan Engagement. It was Everard who tweeted the image of the Australian dressing room in Perth last week that revealed the term “elite honesty” which has since provoked much debate and no little ridicule.
“It is clear that we need to deepen our relationships with fans, players and the broader cricket community,” Roberts said. “We are committed to making cricket stronger and developing closer connections with the community and greater alignment across the organisation. Everyone at CA is focused on rebuilding and moving forward after what has been a turbulent year in Australian cricket.”
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Cabinet ministers could sign off new a proposal to break the Brexit deadlock in days
Nov 6: Cabinet discusses proposed deal.
Nov 8: Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab announces ‘a moment of decisive progress’. The narrative should be one of ‘measured success, that this is good for everyone, but won’t be all champagne corks popping’.
Nov 19: After ten days of behind-the-scenes talks in Brussels, Theresa May uses a speech to the CBI conference to announce she has ‘delivered on the referendum’. Mr Raab will make a statement to Parliament, 25 business leaders will back the deal and ‘lots of world leaders’, such as Japanese PM Shinzo Abe, will ‘tweet their support’.
Nov 20: Seven days of parliamentary debate on the deal will begin, with the theme of ‘Delivering for the Whole of the UK’. The PM will visit the north of England ‘and/or Scotland’ and 100 business leaders will be targeted to come out in support of the deal.
Nov 21: Chancellor Philip Hammond will open the Commons debate on the theme of ‘economy, jobs, customs’.
Nov 22: Sajid Javid will lead the Commons debate and give media interviews on the theme of ‘taking back control of our borders’.
Nov 23: The Commons will debate the financial aspects of the deal, including the impact on NHS funding. Health Secretary Matt Hancock will make a related hospital visit.
Nov 24: MPs will sit on a Saturday for the first time since the Falklands War to debate the impact on Northern Ireland. The PM will visit the Province. Irish PM Leo Varadkar will be asked to speak out in support.
Nov 25: Liam Fox will lead Commons debate on ‘global Britain’, including the potential for trade deals and the impact on security co-operation with the EU.
Nov 26: MPs will debate ‘taking back control of our laws’. The Prime Minister will do an interview with ‘Dimbleby’ (thought to be the BBC’s David Dimbleby).
Nov 27: Michael Gove will lead a debate on the impact on farming and fishing before MPs vote on the deal in the evening.
Written at the bottom of the memo in block capital letters: ‘HISTORIC MOMENT, PUT YOUR OWN INTERESTS ASIDE, PUT THE COUNTRY’S INTERESTS FIRST AND BACK THIS DEAL’
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Sharma’s record ton helps India clinch T20 series
Lucknow – Skipper Rohit Sharma smashed his fourth Twenty20 international century – the most by any batsman in the format – to set up India’s convincing 71-run series-clinching win over West indies on Tuesday.
Sharma hit an unbeaten 111 off 61 deliveries to power the hosts to 192-2 after being put into bat first in the second T20 at Lucknow’s newly built cricket stadium.
India then restricted the tourists to 124-9 and take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
Fast bowlers Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed and Jasprit Bumrah, along with spinner Kuldeep Yadav, took two wickets each.
But the day belonged to Sharma. He put on 123 runs with opening partner Shikhar Dhawan — who made 43 — to pummel the West Indian bowling after paceman Oshane Thomas started with a maiden over.
Sharma, who now has 2,203 runs in 86 matches, became India’s highest run-scorer in T20s after surpassing regular captain Virat Kohli (2,102 runs) during his red-hot knock.
He is now the second highest scorer in the world behind New Zealand’s Martin Guptill, on 2,271 runs.
“Whenever you get an opportunity you do your best. Everyone who came out to watch the game will go home with a smile. Glad that we won this game and this series as well,” said Sharma, who is leading the side in place of the resting Kohli.
“Shikhar’s natural instinct is to put pressure on bowlers. We took the time initially and when he gets going it’s not easy. I think 120-plus partnership between us was very crucial.”
The right-left combination of Sharma and Dhawan, who surpassed 1,000 T20 runs during his 41-ball knock, smashed the balls to all parts of the huge ground before the first wicket fell in the 14th over.
Dhawan, who survived a dropped catch on 28, finally fell to spinner Fabien Allen as Nicholas Pooran took a diving catch at long leg.
Sharma then launched an attack as he hit eight fours and seven sixes during his entertaining blitz in front of a raucous home crowd.
Lokesh Rahul, unbeaten on 26, had the best view when Sharma reached his century in the last over of the innings with a boundary off his opposite number in Carlos Brathwaite.
The Caribbean batting faltered in their chase after losing their openers in Shai Hope, for six, and Shimron Hetmyer, for 15, early.
Ahmed bowled Hope in his very first over and then got the dangerous Hetmyer caught at long on, three overs later, with his left-arm pace.
Left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav soon joined forces to take two quick wickets and paceman Jasprit Bumrah got the big-hitting Kieron Pollard caught and bowled as West indies slipped to 68-5.
The Caribbeans kept losing wickets at regular intervals with Darren Bravo top-scoring with 23.
It has been a complete domination by India after they swept the Test series 2-0 and then won the one-day internationals 3-1.
“Our batting continues to let us down…We are still trying to find our best opening combination,” said Brathwaite.
“It didn’t work batting wise in these two games. Hopefully in the third game we’ll put up a better performance and come up with a win.”
The third T20 is scheduled in Chennai on Sunday.
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England assistant Paul Farbrace linked with Hampshire vacancy
England could face upheaval ahead of the World Cup with news that Paul Farbrace is a candidate for another coaching job. Farbrace, England’s assistant coach and a key figure in their limited-overs revival, is understood to have had talks with Hampshire in connection with the role recently vacated by Craig White.
While Farbrace is far from certain to be offered, or to accept, the role, the fact that he is considering other opportunities at this stage underlines the uncertainty around the England camp.
With Trevor Bayliss, England’s head coach, stepping down from his role at the end of the 2019 English season, the rest of the backroom staff are facing an uncertain future. No decision about a successor has yet been made and, with the ECB currently searching for a replacement for Andrew Strauss – England’s managing director and the man who would appoint Bayliss’ successor – no guarantees can be made to anyone.
It is not unusual for Farbrace to be connected to other coaching jobs. He has an excellent reputation, having led Sri Lanka to the World T20 title during a brief spell in charge in 2014, and has been approached by several of the English counties and at least one national team, in Bangladesh.
But while he has become accustomed to turning such roles down, he will also be aware he has no job security beyond September. He has intimated in the past that he would be interested in taking over as England head coach but, with the role expected to be split into two (a Test coach and a limited-overs coach) and a possibility that some candidates have been sounded out for their availability already, he may conclude that he is better to take opportunities while he has them.
Still, having been such a big part of England’s white-ball recovery, it would surely smart to leave just a few months before the World Cup campaign that has been their focus for the last few years. It would also not be ideal for a dressing room that has prided itself on its stability and positivity in recent times.
Applications for the England managing director job close on November 16, with Ashley Giles and Wasim Khan expected to be among the frontrunners. Mike Atherton, the former England captain and current cricket correspondent at the Times, is also understood to be considering applying having been encouraged to do so by top officials at the ECB.
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Monday, 5 November 2018
Well-dressed Melbourne Cup punters flood into Flemington ahead of the race that stops the nation
Racegoers have hit the ground running at Flemington Racecourse ahead of the race that stops the nation, with punters seen bursting through turnstiles in a mad rush from early in the morning.
Eager racing fans turned up in their best suits and dresses on Tuesday, keen to secure a prime viewing position to see the Melbourne Cup day through.
Odds were on Nick Williams’ Yucatan to flash past the winning post first, however the chance of a dark horse causing upset was not out of the question.
Two ladies were spotted early-on standing by as a chivalrous gentleman whipped off his shirt and wiped a bench dry for them to sit on.
A sudden downpour forced glamorous attendees to run for cover to avoid destroying their perfect hair and makeup, with punters spotted dashing around using huge hats and umbrellas for protection.
Two ladies were spotted early-on standing by as a kind chivalrist whipped off his shirt and wiped their a cane bench dry for them to sit on
Three ladies had the right idea for keeping their gorgeous head-pieces dry as they huddled beneath a domed umbrella
One lady ditched her footwear as she clasped her chest and leaped across puddles wearing a glamorous green satin dress and cream broad-rimmed hat
Ladies were spotted dashing through the rain in their flat shoes while carrying their heels and umbrellas
Another couple cowered underneath their brolly, but it proved a little too small for the two of them to stay dry
The stunning brunette struck a pose in her thought-out ensemble, complete with a dazzling pair of glitzy earrings
There was chaos outside the exclusive Birdcage private marquee area as punters trotted out in the rain on a makeshift ramp that was installed as flooding began to take over large sections of the bitumen.
The torrential rain forced attendees to utilise makeshift stepping stones, with some making careful work of the task while also carrying umbrellas and trying to keep their clothes and shoes dry.
Ladies wearing heels seemed to struggle with the elements the most as the flooding posed real danger to the lives of their beloved footwear.
Racecourse staff came to the rescue to ease the battle against rising puddles, bringing out wooden pallets and constructing a ramp to aid with the entry and exit to Birdcage.
One lady ditched her footwear as she leaped across puddles wearing a glamorous green satin dress and cream broad-rimmed hat, carrying a pair of beige high heels in her hand.
Two ladies appeared cheery as they battled the wind and rain, attempting to keep their hair and makeup dry beneath an umbrella
There was chaos outside the exclusive Birdcage private marquee area as punters trotted out in the rain on a makeshift ramp
A well-dressed couple appeared a little concerned as they made quick tracks towards shelter to get out of the rain
A pair of soaking wet pals were spotted strolling through the venue carrying a bottle of wine and a plastic glass each
A gorgeous woman wearing a lovely red and black dress, fascinator and intricate head piece battles to maintain her footing in the wet weather as her companion attempted keeping her dry
A woman who left her wet weather gear at home was seen sprinting along the bitumen trying to escape the downpour
A sudden downpour forced glamorous attendees to run for cover to avoid destroying their perfect hair and makeup, with many people spotted dashing around using huge hats and umbrellas for protection
A lady strode ahead of her partner, making off with their only umbrella and leaving her man with nothing to cover his head
A line of glamorous VIPs concentrated as they made their way across a row of wooden pallets installed above a flooding path
Elsewhere, woman took a solo walk through the rain in a dazzling cream lacy dress as men took shelter near the betting booths
A lady was left with a rather squelchy pair of heeled boots after trudging through the flooding racecourse grounds
Two gorgeous women styled in different variations of red looked showstopping as they kept dry in towering heels and with the help of decorative umbrellas
The heavy rain saw the Flemington track downgraded to a heavy eight, making for races two and three to be pushed back.
The news would likely be welcome to those finding it difficult getting to the racecourse due the weather playing havoc with Melbourne’s public transport system.
Another man was spotted making a mad dash across the pavement after passing through the entrance, appearing particularly keen to guarantee a prime position early in the day.
Dressed in his finest navy blue suit complete with a dashing polka dot bow tie, the gent seemed unconcerned by the potentially slippery brickwork.
A trio of girls looked as though the rain was the least of their problems as they walked around sipping on beverages beneath their umbrella
A plastic poncho proved a miracle solution for one lady who used the item unconventionally and draped it over her entire head
Ladies in short dresses shivered through the wintry conditions as others covered up in clear ponchos
A couple kept a firm clasp on their beverages as they made their way through the grounds in the rain
A couple were deep in concentration as they made their way over a set of pallets, despite being rugged up and wearing boots
The torrential rain flooded the area outside The Birdcage, forcing attendees to utilise makeshift stepping stones
There was a backed up line of punters as they exited The Birdcage on the make-shift ramp designed to keep their shoes from being destroyed
An attendee ran the risk of having her eye-popping blue dress get wet as she strolled through the venue during the downpour
A lady looked very unimpressed at having to stomp through deep puddles in her stiletto heels
Some girls appeared rather unhappy at the way their day had turned out, spotted on the lawn huddling beneath an umbrella
A lady appeared amused at the predicament she found herself in and whipped out her phone to document the moment
Australia’s former Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party Julie Bishop and her partner David Panton looked very stylish as they attended the prestigious event
Dolled-up punters came prepared with coats and umbrellas to ensure they were protected from Melbourne’s predictably wet weather
One woman presented wonderfully in a tailored baby blue suit could be seen clasping her hat and pair of black high heels as she sprinted through the gate, with another woman looking equally as determined just behind her
Another man was spotted making a mad dash across the pavement after passing through the entrance, appearing particularly keen to guarantee a prime position
Ladies made sure they were capable of high tailing it ahead of the crowds at the entrance, with many spotted wearing their speediest pair of flat shoes
One glamorous filly donned a blue lace body suit, large floppy hat and an extravagant fur coat
There was a gorgeous sea of red and pink at the entrance to The Park, with ladies donning smiles despite the drizzling rain
Two ladies were spotted wedged in between a set of undercover ATM machines as the strong rain hit the racecourse, but they proved it would take more than a bit of wet weather to wipe the smile of their face
Once the day’s earliest act of chivalry was complete, the kind gentleman could be seen putting the same shirt he used as a mop back on his body
The unlikely hero seemed rather pleased with himself at the completion of his selfless task and struck a triumphant pose in celebration
Plenty flashed through the entrance gates early wearing gorgeous head wear and classy ensembles with classic embellishments.
Dolled-up punters came prepared with coats and umbrellas to ensure they were protected from Melbourne’s predictably wet weather.
One glamorous filly donned a blue lace body suit, a matching large floppy hat and an extravagant fur coat.
Once the day’s earliest act of chivalry was complete, the kind gentleman could be seen putting the same shirt he used as a mop back on his body.
A man was spotted sprinting out the entrance gate at Flemington Racecourse on Tuesday morning ahead of the Melbourne Cup
Plenty flashed through the entrance gates early on Tuesday wearing gorgeous head wear
A happy pair looked thrilled to be at the prestigious event and looked equally as glamorous as each other
Despite the excitement security was not overlooked, with attendees spotted being waved over by a detector wand in an undercover section of the venue
Ladies made sure they were capable of high tailing it ahead of the crowds at the entrance, with many spotted wearing their speediest pair of flat shoes.
One woman presented wonderfully in a tailored baby blue suit could be seen clasping her hat and pair of black high heels as she sprinted through the gate.
Another bolted ahead, presumable with her hairpiece and heels inside the large floral tote bag she held tightly over her shoulder.
Despite the excitement security was not overlooked, with attendees spotted being waved over by a detector wand in an undercover section of the venue.
Even Fashions On The Fields contestants hard to stomp their way through puddles in search of somewhere dry to sit
Well prepared revelers made their way through a passageway sheltered by flowers in rain coats and carrying umbrellas
A man appeared to have gotten his morning workout in after running through the rain without his wet weather gear
Thousands poured through the gate sporting a huge variety of glamorous ensembles with dazzling head pieces to match
The drizzling rain didn’t appear to be dampening the spirits of racegoers, who arrived in groups ready to enjoy the day in each other’s company
A gorgeous couple were full of smiles despite the miserable Melbourne weather
A trio seemed cheery despite the dreary weather as they made their way through the venue
Two friends donned matching towel hats and shirts with a horse racing graphic in what was presumably a pre-arranged element of ‘Paul’s bucket list’
The excitement could also be felt in Sydney, with keen punters flocking to makeshift betting station The Stables which had been set up in the middle of Martin Place in the CBD.
A line could be seen at the booths from about 9am Tuesday morning as betters put their money on their favourite horses for the 3pm race.
Some may be looking to cash in on Yucatan’s odds, with the horse impressively winning its last start and looking like a good chance to help owner Lloyd Williams win his third Cup in a row.
Others might be throwing their best behind strong contender Magic Circle who won his previous start in England by six lengths, but hasn’t raced in almost six months.
A man donned a Native American-inspired outfit for his day at the races complete with a set of self-hemmed chaps
A couple donned matching ‘his and her’ circus-inspired ensembles and each wore a suitably eccentric hat
The excitement could also be felt in Sydney, with keen punters flocking to makeshift betting station The Stables which had been set up in the middle of Martin Place in the CBD
A line could be seen at the booths from about 9am Tuesday morning as betters put their money on their favourite horses for the 3pm race
There were much drier conditions in Sydney, with punters spotted heading to Martin Place on their break from work to plave a bet
A torrential downpour forced attendees to jump for cover wherever they could find it, some had an umbrella but others had to be slightly more resourceful.
Two ladies were spotted wedged in between a set of undercover ATM machines as the strong rain hit the racecourse, but they proved it would take more than a bit of wet weather to wipe the smile of their face.
The eventually decided to make a run for it, with one propping up an umbrella and the other relying on her huge brimmed hat to shelter her entire outfit.
Another pair attempted keeping dry beneath a shared umbrella but things didn’t quite go to plan as they both ended up rather soaked.
A severe weather warning is in place for Melbourne and eastern parts of the state, as a slow moving low pressure trough brings heavy rain and thunderstorms, threatening to lead to flash flooding in some parts.
Another pair attempted keeping dry beneath a shared umbrella but things didn’t quite go to plan as they both ended up becoming rather soaked
A practically dressed duo seemed adequately prepared for the downpour with an umbrella each and suitable footwear
One man was caught out and about during the a large burst of rain and was forced to make a run for it
A clan of ladies seemed slightly under the weather as they carried green bags of picnic supplies as they made their way to shelter
One lady came well prepared and seemed to stay pretty dry and warm despite the conditions, even carrying a pair of flat shoes in her hand
A woman in a lovely red dress focused while navigating the cracks in the wooden pallet while keeping her top half dry with an umbrella
Racecourse staff came to the rescue to ease the battle against rising puddles, bringing out wooden pallets and constructing a ramp to aid with the entry and exit to The Birdcage
The race proved the perfect excuse for many to wear the wackiest outfits, and even for friends to tick off a major bucket list item.
Two friends donned matching towel hats and shirts with a horse racing graphic in what was presumably a pre-arranged element of ‘Paul’s bucket list’, as stated by writing across the front of the head wear.
There were plenty of other interesting ensembles on show, like a man dressed to impress in a very loud pick suit, top hat, shirt and sneakers.
Another quirky chap opted for an odd combo of shorts and a suit with tails, completing his outfit with red finished in his pocket, belt and top hat.
An employee at The Park was spotted wiping down the wet chairs to offer drenched punters somewhere to sit down
There were plenty of other interesting ensembles on show, like a man dressed to impress in a very loud pick suit, top hat, shirt and sneakers
Another quirky chap opted for an odd combo of shorts and a suit with tails, completing his outfit with red finished in his pocket, belt and top hat
Bill Shorten and his wife Debbie Beale were spotted getting in on the racing action but managed to stay dry as they enjoyed it from indoors
A couple dodged the puddles as they made their way across the lawn closely embraced beneath an umbrella
The rain wasn’t too much of a drama for those who prepared ahead of time and packed a poncho
Two dolled-up ladies in contrasting black and cream outfits appeared focused on making it to their destination dry
There were some sour looks on the faces of punters as they waited out the wet weather in their poncho jackets
As racing got under way there were all but clear conditions as the day got off to a rather glum start.
Racegoers took shelter wherever they could and many were forced to cover their up their beautifully thought-out outfits with a less pleasant looking raincoat or poncho.
Even worse, some people had already been rained on within just hours of arriving at the racecourse, with wet weather wreaking havoc on what was no doubt months in advance worth of hair, makeup and outfit planning.
It wasn’t just the punters who received a soaking, the grounds also had a good drenching with puddles appearing across the viewing grass which had earlier been host to groups with picnic set ups.
As racing got under way there were all but clear conditions as the day got off to a rather glum start
Even worse, some people had already been rained on within just hours of arriving at the racecourse, with wet weather wreaking havoc on what was no doubt months in advance worth of hair, makeup and outfit planning
It wasn’t just the punters who received a soaking, the grounds also had a good drenching with puddles appearing across the viewing grass which had earlier been host to groups with picnic set ups
Racegoers took shelter wherever they could and many were forced to cover their up their beautifully thought-out outfits with a less pleasant looking raincoat or poncho
There was a huge sea of umbrellas and chaos as punters tried their best to avoid getting wet when they arrived at Flemington
Flooding near Flemington caused train delays of up to 20 minutes and a number of inner-city tram services were stopped because of storm damage.
Interstate visitors planning to jet out later in the day were also faced with potential delays, with Air Services Australia tweeting that Tuesday morning’s poor weather could cause problems.
‘We can expect showers during the race but it’s unlikely it will be as heavy as this morning,’ Mr Efron told AAP.
Attendees were advised to pack a warm coat, with southerly winds forecast to bring cold temperatures in the late afternoon.
A group of men wearing plastic ponchos huddled around a large umbrella erect of a lawn area
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