NASA's New Mars Rover Launches From Florida to Seek Signs of Past Life

Varieties

July 30th, 12:00pm

Asharq Al-Awsat

A replica of the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover is shown during a press conference ahead of the launch of a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket carrying the rover, at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, U.S. July 29, 2020. REUTERS/Joe Skipper

NASA's next-generation Mars rover Perseverance blasted off from Florida's Cape Canaveral on Thursday atop an Atlas 5 rocket on a $2.4 billion mission to search for traces of potential past life on Earth's planetary neighbor. The next-generation robotic rover - a car-sized six-wheeled scientific vehicle - also is scheduled to deploy a mini helicopter on Mars and test out equipment for future human missions to the fourth planet from the sun. It is expected to reach Mars next February. It soared into the sky under clear, sunny and warm conditions carried by an Atlas 5 rocket from the Boeing-Lockheed joint venture United Launch Alliance. The launch took place after the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California where its mission engineers were located was rattled by an earthquake, Reuters reported. This marked NASA's ninth journey to the Martian surface. Perseverance is due to land at the base of an 820-foot-deep (250 meters) crater called Jezero, a former lake from 3.5 billion years ago that scientists suspect could bear evidence of potential past microbial life on Mars. Scientists have long debated whether Mars - once a much more hospitable place than it is today - ever harbored life. Water is considered a key ingredient for life, and the Mars billions of years ago had lots of it on the surface before the planet became a harsh and desolate outpost. One of the most complex maneuvers in Perseverance's journey will be what mission engineers call the "seven minutes of terror," when the robot endures extreme heat and speeds during its descent through the Martian atmosphere, deploying a set of supersonic parachutes before igniting mini rocket engines to gently touch down on the planet's surface. Since NASA's first Mars rover Sojourner landed in 1997, the agency has sent two others - Spirit and Opportunity - that have explored the geology of expansive Martian plains and detected signs of past water formations, among other discoveries. NASA also has successfully sent three landers - Pathfinder, Phoenix, InSight.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2420696/nasas-new-mars-rover-launches-florida-seek-signs-past-life

Earthquake Awareness Campaign Launches in New Delhi

Varieties

July 30th, 11:53am

Asharq Al-Awsat

An earthquake awareness campaign launched in New Delhi on Thursday included double-page adverts in national newspapers with a list of dos and don'ts. AFP

People in New Delhi have been warned to prepare for a potential major earthquake after the Indian capital was wobbled by a rare series of tremors in recent months. Experts said a major quake is unlikely but not impossible and could kill hundreds of thousands in the crowded megacity of 20 million. An awareness campaign launched on Thursday included double-page adverts in national newspapers with a list of dos and don'ts in an earthquake. "Since April 2020, 18 very mild tremors have taken place in and around Delhi. Only two of these have registered above 4, or mild intensity, on the Richter scale," the city's chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said. "However, as your chief minister, it is my firm belief that Delhi must always be prepared and aware of any crisis," he said in a statement. Scientist J.L. Gautam from the National Centre for Seismology said a rise in the frequency of tremors was not unheard of in Delhi, but the city government was right to be spreading awareness. "It's not a linear phenomenon -- sometimes there is a higher number of earthquakes and at times they are fewer. What the Delhi government is doing in planning is definitely a good thing," he told AFP. Gautam said if the city were to be hit by a high-magnitude quake, hundreds of thousands of residents could lose their lives because many buildings were poorly constructed.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2420671/earthquake-awareness-campaign-launches-new-delhi

Hermes: Sales Picking Up after First-half Results Were Hit by Pandemic

Fashion

July 30th, 11:48am

Asharq Al-Awsat

FILE PHOTO: An employee holds an Hermes diamond and Himalayan Nilo Crocodile Birkin handbag at Heritage Auctions offices in Beverly Hills, California September 22, 2014. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni/File Photo

French luxury group Hermes said Thursday the coronavirus pandemic hit profits in the first half of the year but expressed confidence about the future as business began picking up in June. Net profits plunged 55 percent to 335 million euros ($394 million) while its operational profitability fell to 21.5 percent of revenue against 34.8 percent a year earlier, a statement said. Sales stood 2.48 billion euros, in line with the analyst consensus forecasts by compiled by Factset and Bloomberg. "This unprecedented crisis, which began at the start of the year and is still ongoing, allows us to test our business model’s strength," Hermes Executive Chairman Axel Dumas said. "We have to weather the storm but we are well equipped," he added. Dumas said Hermes had "preserved jobs and maintained the basic salaries of its employees worldwide without having recourse to the exceptional governmental subsidies provided in various countries. "The loyal clients, desirable collections, agile omnichannel network and independence of the group are the pillars that give us confidence in the future and will support our recovery." Hermes said sales had picked up from June and that it was able to reopen all its outlets in China -- a major market where the COVID-19 pandemic began -- in March, adding that there was "strong growth". The group said it was financially solid and had enough cash reserves, adding that the mid-term aim was to see turnover rise progressively at ambitious targets.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2420656/hermes-sales-picking-after-first-half-results-were-hit-pandemic

Beijing Conducts Hight-intensity Military Drills in South China Sea

World

July 30th, 11:40am

Asharq Al-Awsat

China's expanding military presence in the region has worried several of its neighbors. AFP

China recently conducted naval exercises in the South China Sea, China's defense ministry said Thursday. China's expanding military presence in the region has worried several of its neighbors, while the US has vowed to stand up against Beijing's territorial claims to much of the South China Sea, including the contested Paracel Islands. Chinese H-6G and H-6J jet bombers carried out "high-intensity training, and completed day-and-night training exercises in taking off and landing, long-range assault, and attacks on sea targets," defense ministry spokesman Ren Guoqiang said at a virtual press conference Thursday. Ren said the exercises were part of routine training and had "achieved the expected results", without giving their specific location, according to AFP. Washington declared earlier this month that Beijing's claims to most of the sea are illegal, ramping up support for Southeast Asian nations with claims to parts of it. The region is believed to have valuable oil and gas deposits. Australia has also rejected Beijing's territorial and maritime claims in the sea, saying there was "no legal basis" to several of China's claims.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2420641/beijing-conducts-hight-intensity-military-drills-south-china-sea

Political Blocs East of Euphrates Support Decentralization

Arab World

July 30th, 11:35am

Qamishli - London - Kamal Sheikho and Asharq Al-Awsat

Syria’s Tomorrow Movement leader Ahmad Jarba (Syria’s Tomorrow)

Kurdish, Arab and Assyrian political blocs from Qamishli, a city in the northeastern province of Hasakah, have announced the establishment of the "Peace and Freedom Front" to ease coordination on a political solution in Syria. The front’s statement called for the adoption of decentralization, just distribution of wealth and power, and reconsideration of the administrative demarcations currently in place. The statement also defines the role of the army and security services, defending the country and maintaining its security, independence and territorial integrity. The front includes the Kurdish National Council and Assyrian Democratic Organization, both of which are represented in the Syrian Negotiation Commission, in addition to Syria’s Tomorrow Movement and Arab Council in Euphrates and Al-Jazeera. These parties are all part of the Syrian opposition, operating in the region controlled by the Kurdish-Arab Syrian Democratic Forces supported by the international coalition led by the US. The agreement was reached after two major Kurdish parties reached a preliminary settlement of their differences. The front’s statement also makes clear that the new coalition "does not affect the persistence of any of its parties’ membership in opposition bodies; rather, its work falls within the framework of complementing their efforts" and that the front supports opposition forces and international and regional parties seeking to end the suffering of the Syrians through a comprehensive political solution through its statement. It also affirms the front’s openness to discussion and collaboration with the parties across the Syrian opposition spectrum, in a reference to the ongoing American and French-sponsored talks between the Kurdish Council and Democratic Union Party. Ahmed Jarba, head of Syria’s Tomorrow Movement, said: “In light of the scenes that afflict Syria and the region, we have noticed a state of political rigidity and surrender, to an extent that despair has reached its climax.” “Through this announcement, we are breaking through the wall of despair and declare that it will resonate through deeds, not words.” Speaking about the inclusion of Kurds, Assyrians and Arabs in the coalition, he said: “The diversity of our backgrounds and beliefs demonstrates that the unity of the Syrian people is high and none can rise above it, and that betting on singling each of us out to bring us down and subjugate us has fallen and will not rise.” For his part, Faisal Youssef, a leader in the Kurdish National Council said: “This front was announced to reinforce coexistence between the components of the region, and (ensure) that the constitution guarantees the rights of national minorities and considers their languages and cultures to be national languages and cultures that represent Syria’s history and civilization.” The statement, which includes 15 clauses, affirms that Syria is an independent and sovereign state, with the principle of the peaceful transfer of power through free and fair elections as its basis. It demands constitutional ratification that Syria is a nationality-national multi-cultural and multi-religious state and emphasizes the front’s commitment to the United Nations-sponsored political process.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2420621/political-blocs-east-euphrates-support-decentralization

As Small Business Suffers, Facebook's Fortunes Hang in the Balance

Technology

July 30th, 11:24am

Asharq Al-Awsat

FILE PHOTO: A 3D-printed Facebook logo is seen placed on a keyboard in this illustration taken March 25, 2020. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/File Photo

Facebook Inc will reveal on Thursday whether lower ad prices lured enough marketers in the second quarter to overcome the downdraft from widespread pandemic-induced closures among the small businesses that drive most of its revenue. Wall Street analysts on average expect Facebook’s quarterly revenue to rise 3% to $17.4 billion, which would be its slowest growth ever, per Refinitiv data. Socialbakers, a digital marketing agency, said data from the 9,000 advertisers it tracks indicates small companies decreased quarterly spend on Facebook ads by 21% year-on-year, while medium-sized and large companies cut back 30%. Data from another agency, Gupta Media, indicated the volume of ads displayed on Facebook, which rose in the early stages of pandemic-related lockdowns, may have then retreated to pre-pandemic levels later in the quarter, while prices were depressed throughout the period, Reuters reported. June volumes in particular appeared to drop in the United States, which along with Canada contributes about half of Facebook’s revenue, as some businesses went silent on social media to express support for anti-racism protests. “If they beat revenue expectations, it will be an incredible testament to the flexibility and durability of their ad ecosystem. But it will be a Herculean task,” said Gogi Gupta, whose agency tracks more than 8 billion ad impressions across Facebook’s platforms, including Instagram and Messenger. Shares of the world’s biggest social media company have soared 56% since mid-March when much of the world went into lockdown, with investors wagering Facebook would fare better than competitors in an advertising collapse. Facebook said it saw signs of stability for sales in April after a plunge in March. Marketers forced to slash spending steered remaining budgets toward easily produced digital ads, according to the Interactive Advertising Bureau. Still, the pandemic has crushed small businesses, which by some estimates account for 75% of Facebook’s sales. Of the 30,000 small and medium-sized companies surveyed on Facebook’s platform in May, 26% said they closed this year.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2420601/small-business-suffers-facebooks-fortunes-hang-balance

China Slams US Threat of 'Consequences' if Brazil Picks Huawei 5G

Technology

July 30th, 11:16am

Asharq Al-Awsat

FILE PHOTO: Small toy figures are seen in front of a displayed Huawei and 5G network logo in this illustration picture, March 30, 2019. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

Beijing on Thursday slammed US warnings of "consequences" if Brazil chooses Chinese telecoms company Huawei to develop its 5G network, accusing Washington of "unscrupulous oppression" of the country's tech companies. Huawei -- the world's top producer of telecoms networking equipment -- has become a pivotal issue in the geopolitical standoff between Beijing and Washington, which claims the firm poses a significant cybersecurity threat. Brazil is due to launch a tender next year for a project to develop the next generation of telecoms technology in Latin America's most populous country, home to 212 million people. But the US ambassador in Brasilia, Todd Chapman, warned in an interview of "consequences" if Brazil goes against US advice and picks the Chinese firm. Beijing on Thursday called the ambassador's remarks an example of the US "openly coercing other countries to obey the will of the United States". Foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said the US opposed the use of Huawei products not on national security grounds, but because they objected to the rise of Chinese firms. "When other countries' enterprises achieve a leading advantage, US politicians will fabricate excuses to use national power to conduct unscrupulous oppression," Wang said at a regular press briefing. Washington has essentially barred Huawei from the US market and waged a global campaign to isolate the company. The British government bowed to growing US pressure and pledged earlier this month to remove Huawei from its 5G network by 2027, despite warnings of retaliation from Beijing. Australia and Japan have also taken steps to block or restrict the Chinese company's participation in their 5G rollouts, while European telecoms operators including Norway's Telenor and Sweden's Telia have passed over Huawei as a supplier.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2420596/china-slams-us-threat-consequences-if-brazil-picks-huawei-5g