Killer Clown Killed When He Blunders Into Minefield

A man wearing a scary ‘killer clown’ mask died in Samraong, Northwestern Cambodia after running into a jungle filled with landmines.

Based on the report, the man wore a clown mask to scare the residents of Samraong. The residents thought that it was an ‘evil spirit’ so they chased him down into a nearby jungle. Shortly after, they heard an explosion and realized the creepy man must have stepped on a landmine.

Police said that the man could not be identified due to the extent of his injuries.

Nonetheless, the locals believe him to be a 25-year-old student who had returned from the US to visit relatives in Samraong.

According to a Times of Cambodia report, a police captain said, “A group of men came out of their houses and gave chase to the man wearing the mask”

“They didn’t want to hurt him, but they wanted to find out who it was and make him apologize to the people he’d scared.”

He continued:“They stopped chasing him when they got to the nearby jungle and shouted warnings about the dangers in the area. He kept running however, and moments later their worst fears were realized when an explosion rang out.” Police captain added.

Cambodia Killing Fields

Cambodia’s major landmine problem is the product of a civil war that spanned three decades. As a result, the country has 40,000 amputees, which is the highest rate recorded in the world.

Killer Clown craze goes global

The creepy ‘killer crown’ craze began in the U.S and has rapidly gone global.
In the UK, the Killer Clown craze prompted a call surge to Childline from hundreds of frightened children. Records show that in just one week they have received 120 calls from children reporting a man dressed up in a creepy costume.

Most of the calls received came from under 11 years and over a third from 12 to 15-year-olds in the cities of Birmingham, Manchester and Nottingham.

There were also cases of clowns carrying deadly weapons such as knives and baseball bats, scaring children and targeting schools.

Kent Police reported 59 clown-related incidents between October 7 and 10.

Thames Valley Police had 14 in 24 hours over the same weekend. In South Yorkshire, Police received 61 reports in 20 days, including two of clowns with knives.

Last week, armed officers arrested a suspect wearing a clown mask. He was also carrying a fake gun when apprehended in Hillingdon, West London, about five miles from Heathrow.

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Cyber Attacks Interrupt Access to Several Websites

Cyber attacks disrupted access to dozens of websites on Friday, blocking some users from accessing Twitter, Spotify and PayPal. The attack targeted Dyn, a slightly known internet infrastructure company.

Dyn said the outages that started in the Eastern United States spread to other parts of the country and overseas. The company, whose customers comprise some of the world’s most commonly visited websites, said it did not know who was responsible for the attack.

The outages were sporadic, making it difficult to identify all the victims. However, technology news site Gizmodo named a number of sites that the attack impinged on. They included Mashable, HBO Now, CNN, the New York Times, Yelp, People.com, and the Wall Street Journal.

Attacks were emanating from tens of millions of Internet-connected devices such as printers, thermostats, and webcams, Dyn said. They were infected with malicious software that converts them into “bots” that are capable of massive distributed denial of service attacks.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security released an alert last week concerning this powerful new approach. The agency remarked its concern about the potential for fresh attacks following code for malware used in these attacks was posted on the internet.

Dyn said on Friday that it was fending off the third major wave of attacks. The attacks were getting harder to fight since they were being launched from sites scattered across the globe.

“The complexity of the attacks is what’s making it very challenging for us,” said Kyle York, Dyn’s chief strategy officer.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said they were investigating the case.

The disruptions happened at a time of unparalleled concerns about the cyber threat in the United States, where hackers have violated political organizations and election agencies.

Dyn said an earlier attack, which interrupted operations for about two hours, had been resolved. However, a second attack a few hours later caused further disruptions.

The outage was restricted to the Eastern United States, Dyn said early on Friday. But Amazon later reported that the incident was affecting users in Western Europe. Some users in London could not access twitter and some news sites late on Friday evening.

PayPal Holdings Inc said that the outage inhibited some customers in “certain regions” from doing payments. It said that its networks had not been hacked and apologized to customers for the inconvenience.

Amazon.com Inc’s web services division also reported a related outage but was resolved early Friday afternoon, the company said

Dyn is a provider of services for managing domain name servers (DNS), which function as switchboards connecting internet traffic. DNS servers direct requests to access sites that are transmitted through them to computers that host websites. The company is based in Manchester, New Hampshire.

Dyn said it was still investigating how the attack led to the outage but that its first priority was restoring service.

Attacking a large DNS provider can produce substantial disruptions because such companies are responsible for redirecting huge amounts of internet traffic.

 

 

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London City Airport Evacuated: CS Gas Found

London City Airport was evacuated today in a “chemical incident” after CS gas is believed to have been discharged inside the terminal.

The alarm was raised after passengers and staff began coughing and were struggling to breathe.

Firefighters and police wearing protective equipment carried out two complete sweeps of the airport building before what is believed to be a CS gas spray cannister was found on a subsequent search.

Paramedics treated 27 people at the scene and two others were taken to hospita.

Police have discovered a CS gas spray at London City Airport which is believed to have been discarded by a passenger prior to check-in

— Sky News Newsdesk (@SkyNewsBreak) October 21, 2016

Passengers were warned to expect “long delays” and hundreds of people were evacuated from the central London airport this afternoon.

Among those caught up in the incident was former Unified Cruiserweight and WBA world heavyweight champion boxer David Haye.

The Londoner had been due to fly to Edinburgh, Scotland, to watch fellow boxer Josh Taylor fight but his flight was cancelled.

He tweeted: “Gutted cant get to Scotland for @JoshTaylorBoxer fight tonight. As #CityAirport got evacuated when everyone started coughing uncontrollably!”

Gutted cant get to Scotland for @JoshTaylorBoxer fight tonight. As #CityAirport got evacuated when everyone started coughing uncontrollably!

— David Haye (@mrdavidhaye) October 21, 2016

Witness Tanya Ramsay told Sky News: “Everyone was coughing a lot, struggling to breathe, struggling to not cough.

“People weren’t managing to get their hands over their mouths in time and I heard a couple of men talking about how their eyes were absolutely stinging and streaming.”

The airport has since re-opened and police say they are not treating the incident as terrorist-related.

Incident

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: “Whilst the cause of the incident has not yet been confirmed, officers are investigating whether it was the result of an accidental discharge of the spray.

“Enquiries continue. This is not being treated as a terrorist-related incident. At this early stage officers believe that the spray may have been discarded by a passenger prior to check-in.”

London Ambulance Service said they were called to the airport at 4.11pm and sent a number of units including their specialist Hazardous Area Response Team.

Incoming planes from Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Belfast City and Paris were diverted to other airports while passengers were advised to check with their airlines for the latest flight information.

Airport has now reopened. We thank passengers for their patience, access to terminal will be staggered & disruption to flights expected.

— London City Airport (@LondonCityAir) October 21, 2016

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Guzzle Buddy: How to drink an entire bottle of wine at once

What’s the difference between a glass of wine and a bottle of wine?

Well with a new novelty gift for wine lovers the answer could be absolutely nothing at all.

Guzzle Buddy is an extra large wine glass with a difference…there is a stopper attached to the end of the stem so it fits directly into the mouth of a wine bottle.

Attach the device to the wine bottle, tilt the bottle back and drink away.

Novelty

According to the Guzzle Buddy website, the novelty gift turns your wine bottle into your wine glass so that you can ‘plug it and chug it.’

But who would seriously use such a device? The makers say it is ideal for weddings, bachelorette parties, house warming, kitchen gifts, birthdays and anniversaries.

When all else fails it is good for those evenings at home in front of the television when “you are just too dang lazy to get off the sofa and go pour another glass.”

It certainly does not seem the most dignified way in the world to drink a glass of wine but it does look fun.

And while it certainly is a novelty gift item, if you are seen using it too often then your friends may worry that you have developed a drink problem.

The Guzzle Buddy, which is made of high quality borosilicate lead free glass, is currently on sale on Amazon where it has received many five star reviews.

Fun

One tongue-in-cheek review called “No more waiting” said: “What a fantastic idea! Before this product, I used to drive an unbearable 5 mins from the liquor store to my house before drinking my wine, but with this product, I can start drinking right in the parking lot! It’s taken my alcoholism to a whole new level.”

Another purchaser wrote: “I absolutely love this thing. It made drinking my wine more fun then usual. I plan on buying more and giving them for gifts.”

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Clinton’s Leaked Email on $12 Million Dollar Morocco Donation

Hillary Clinton’s leaked emails keep piling up on her. Recently, Huma Abedin’s email was in the spotlight and amongst the 4,000 emails posted by WikiLeaks on Thursday. The controversial email made public involving a $12 million donation from a government that her State Department deemed to be corrupt.

The Clinton Foundation received the massive amount of $12 million as a donation from the Moroccan King Mohammed VI. The king only had one condition; Clinton must agree to be a major speaker at a convention in Morocco to be conducted in May 2015. The State Department under Clinton’s control accused the Moroccan government of “arbitrary arrests and corruption”.

The convention was scheduled just after a month when Clinton announced her bid for the presidency. According to the leaked email, when Clinton finally realized her predicament, she believed that the “mess” could cost her the presidential campaign.

In an email excerpt exposed by WikiLeaks from Clinton’s top adviser, Huma Abedin said, “No matter what happens, she will be in Morocco hosting CGI (Clinton Global Initiative) on May 5-7, 2015. Her presence was a condition for the Moroccans to proceed so there is no going back on this”. The statement taken from a November 2014 email sent to Clinton’s campaign manager, Robby Mook.

The Moroccan King made sure that Clinton would honor the deal. In another email, Abedin notified Mook that the $12 million would be forfeited if Clinton disregards the convention.

In a January 2015 email, Abedin wrote to Mook and another campaign manager John Podesta. She said, “Just to give you some context, the condition upon which the Moroccans agreed to host the meeting was her participation. If HRC was not part if it, meeting was a non-starter”.

The email also describes that “CGI also wasn’t pushing for a meeting in Morocco and it wasn’t their first choice. This was HRC’s idea, our office approached the Moroccans and they 100 percent believed they are doing this at her request. The King has personally committed approx. $12 million both for the [foundation’s] endowment and to support the meeting”.

Abedin shockingly admitted in the email that “It will break a lot of china to back out now when we had so many opportunities to do it in the past few months. She created this mess and she knows it.”

Appallingly, the deal came off as a quid-pro-quo agreement in the king’s donation for the Clinton Foundation and for the CGI Summit. Similarly, significant dignitaries were notified that Clinton would be a keynote speaker at the convention.

Unshaken by the king’s demand, Clinton sent her husband Bill and her daughter Chelsea Clinton to the convention while she continued to campaign in Nevada and California.

Even though Clinton did not honor the King’s demand the deal went on. However, it was uncertain how much went to the summit directly, and to the Clinton Foundation. According to the emails, the total sum was $12 million.

Lavish Accommodation

The May 2015 CGI summit attendees stayed in the luxurious five-star Selman-Marrakesh hotel which is well known for featuring Arabian horses and extravagant amenities. The media was barred from covering the convention.

The Quid-pro-Quo Deal

Surprisingly the convention was sponsored by a Moroccan government-owned mining company, OCP. The Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice filed a case of “serious human-rights violations against the company.

Other allegations regarding human rights violations besieged the company. Human rights advocates accused OCP’s mined minerals as “blood phosphates”. This is a term similar to “blood diamonds”, denoting the precious stones unearthed were used to finance war conflicts.

In April 2013, Washington emissary Mohamed Yeslem Beisat said, “OCP is the first beneficiary of the war and the first beneficiary of the occupation — it is the one that cashes in on the misery of thousands of refugees and hundreds of political detainees for the past 40 years.” The self-described, “government in exile”, Polisario Front told US News & World Report.

As for the deal struck, Beisat remarked, “They’re doing this because they know Hillary has some chances of being President of the United States. And they want her to support their brutal occupation of Western Sahara.”

Nonetheless, the US financed Export-Import Bank granted OCP a $92 million loan during Clinton’s tenure as the Secretary of State.

Pointing Fingers

The leaked emails were presumed to originate from Podesta, who believed some may have been falsified.

Nevertheless, US intelligence agencies pointed out that the Russian government was behind the hack. Indicating the Russian President Vladimir Putin was trying to rig the election in favor of Donald Trump’s victory.

Trump asserted during the Wednesday final presidential debate that “no one knows” who hacked the emails.

Clinton accused Trump of urging the Russians to hack her emails during her tenure as the Secretary of State.

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Green Bay Sets a Record Setting Victory Over Chicago Bears

Green Bay Packer’s Aaron Rodgers catches fire in a record-setting victory, finishing 39-of-56 for 326 yards and three touchdowns past the Chicago Bears 26-10 at Lambeau Field on Thursday.

“It’s fun to win,” said Rodgers, who set a blazing record, overtaking Brett Faver’s 36 against Chicago in 1993.

“Whether we throw it that many times or have to pound it a little bit more. I think this is closer to how we’re going to have to play moving forward, but I’m proud of the way we responded after the touchdown that put us behind,” he added.

Just 30 seconds into the third quarter, Rodgers eluded Chicago’s touchdown when he was sacked and stripped by a rookie. Leonard Floyd pounced on the loose ball in the end zone, giving Chicago 10-6 lead.

Rodgers would have to stop fumbling. It was his fourth fumble returned for a touchdown since week 16 of last season.

Maybe it was luck, but Rodgers was on fire from the point and capped the next three drives with blazing touchdown passes, which gave Green Bay (4-2) past Chicago (1-6).
Green Bay Packers’ coach Mike McCarthy said, “its one game. It’s a one-game victory.”

“And that’s really the reflection of how you plan for a season. You do what you have to do, you play how you have to play.”

Chicago Bears, QB’s Matt Barkley took over Brian Hoyer after he sustained an injury. His left arm got broken during the second quarter as Matt Barkley finished the game.

By the time Rodgers hit Randal Cobb for the third consecutive score, Barkley never stood a chance to stop advancing Green Bay. It gave them 26-10 on the scoreboard, 372-138 in yards, 75-36 in plays and 31-10 in first downs.

Bears coach John Fox said, “If you lose your starting quarterback, it can be disruptive.”
“It’s not an excuse. It’s just reality. When you play an explosive offense like Green Bay, it kind of helps to maybe be out there a little more offensively, which I think was a problem in the second half.”

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Thief Caught by Police After Spending Loot on Expensive Cookies

Stamford CT. – Police said a bandanna-wearing crook who raided a Hope Street convenience store Monday afternoon was discovered not long after eating expensive cookies and drinking espresso at a popular Springdale bakeshop.

Donald Newman-Smith, 26, was found sitting outside DiMare Pastry Shop on Largo Drive next to the Springdale train station. He was eating a dozen Pignoli cookies and drinking an espresso, Lt. Thomas Barcello said. However, the cookies cost $2 each, the shop’s most expensive.

Moments earlier, Newman-Smith marched into the Hope Street Mini Mart near Camp Avenue with a bandanna across his face, Barcello said. He then passed a note to a 22-year-old clerk behind the counter soon after 2 p.m. Monday.

Barcello said the clerk told police the note announced the man had a gun in his hoodie and that he was robbing the store. Hence, the clerk handed over around $800 in cash and the man bolted, Barcello added.

As Michael Franzetti, an investigator, was heading to the convenience store, Newman-Smith waived him down to ask him how to get to DiMare.

After going through the surveillance tape, Franzetti recognized the robber as the man he had given directions to. He, together with Barcello, then headed to the bakeshop where they found Newman-Smith sitting at an outside table.

Barcello said the clerk was brought to the bakeshop where he singled out Newman-Smith as the man who handed the note.

The clerk had told police the robber handed him the note and didn’t say a word. Barcello said that was because Newman-Smith had bought scratch-off tickets at the store earlier. He also didn’t want the clerk to recognize his voice.

Newman-Smith has no criminal history and his family and friends said they were shocked by the allegations, Barcello said.

No gun was found on Newman-Smith, who was held in lieu of a $10,000 court appearance bond. He was charged with first-degree robbery and fifth-degree larceny.

Barcello said the police recovered all of the stolen cash except for the $27 he spent at DiMare.

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Iraq City of Kirkuk, Power Plant Stormed by IS Fighters

Islamic State fighters equipped with assault rifles and explosives attacked targets in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk early on Friday. The attack is possibly aimed at redirecting authorities’ attention for the battle to recapture IS-held Mosul.

More than 11 workers, two of them Iranians, were killed when IS militants captured a power plant north of Kirkuk and then blew themselves up.

Witnesses said in Kirkuk that several explosions rocked the city and gun battles were ongoing. The witnesses spoke on condition of anonymity as they were concerned for their safety. Most of the fighting was focused on a government complex in the city.

IS said its fighters were behind the assault, which the extremist group said was aimed at the Iraqi government. The statement was conveyed by the IS-run Aamaq news agency and could not immediately be confirmed.

Local Kurdish television channel Rudaw aired footage showing black smoke climbing over the city while prolonged bursts of automatic gunfire rang out. It cited Kirkuk Gov. Najmadin Karim as stating that the militants have not taken control of any government buildings.

Meanwhile, three IS suicide bombers stormed a power plant in Dibis, a town north of Kirkuk, and took 10 workers hostage, said Maj. Ahmed Kader Ali.

The assailants demanded to be taken to the Iranians who work at the plant. One of the workers brought them to the Iranians before fleeing. The militants then executed the Iranians and the other workers, and set off their explosive vests when police arrived.

Kirkuk is about 170 kilometers (100 miles) from the IS-held city of Mosul, where Iraqi troops have been engaged in a large-scale offensive since Monday.

The city is around 290 kilometers (180 miles) north of Baghdad and southeast of Mosul. It is claimed by both Kurdish region and Iraq’s central government. It has long been a hotspot for conflict and has been the setting of several attacks by Islamic State militants.

Rudaw TV said later Friday that all IS fighters who participated in the attack on Kirkuk had been killed save for two who were secluded in a newly built hotel which was damaged in the attack.

There was no immediate word on fatalities among civilians or Kurdish troops in Kirkuk. Also, the TV report could not immediately be impartially verified.

A town where a Kurdish peshmerga base is located outside the city also came under fire early on Friday. Kemal Kerkuki, a senior commander of Kurdish peshmerga forces west of Kirkuk, said the base is now under control.

IS retains sleeper cells in Kirkuk and the surrounding villages, Kerkuki said. He added that a group of IS fighters attempted to attack a power station in Dibis village west of Kirkuk with light weapons and a suicide bomber.

IS also claimed an assault on the power station. It said that its fighters had attacked the facility and killed all security forces posted there.

Wolves in sheep’s clothing

Kerkuki said he believes the attackers gained access to Kirkuk masquerading as evacuated civilians. The city has taken in several thousands of displaced people from nearby provinces. This started when IS initially invaded broad stretches of northern and western Iraq in the summer of 2014.

“Many of (the displaced civilians), I’m sure they are working with ISIS,” Kerkuki said. “We arrested one recently and he confessed (he was part of a sleeper cell).”

Iraqi and Kurdish forces supported by U.S.-led coalition began a multi-pronged offensive this week to take back Mosul and neighboring areas from IS. The operation is the most extensive undertaken by the Iraqi military since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003.

Iraqi officials said they had progressed as far as the town of Bartella, 15 kilometers (9 miles) from Mosul’s borders, by Thursday.

 

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Russian Warships headed to Syria, Royal Navy on Alert.

Dispersal at the US Embassy in Manila Turns Violent

On October 20, activists held a rally in front of the United States Embassy in Manila. The rally suddenly turned chaotic when the left-wing group resisted police dispersal. Philippine Senators requested an immediate investigation regarding the violent crowd dispersal on Wednesday.

The minority group supports President Rodrigo Duterte’s call to end U.S. troop’s joint military exercises. The activists also back the president foreign policy to end the country’s economic dependency with the US.

President Rodrigo Duterte is presently visiting Beijing for a four-day state visit when the incident happened. Still in Beijing, he ordered a direct probe regarding the dispersal which caused injuries to both parties.

Violent Dispersal

On a video taken during the violent dispersal, a police van can be seen accelerating into a line of left wing activists. Several protesters were rammed by the vehicle leaving a mass of protesters wounded.

Senior Superintendent Marcelino Pedroso who was present during the demonstration accused the protesters of “having malicious intentions”. Speaking in Tagalog, he said, “They really planned to create trouble, to vandalize,….. hurt police officers. This is the first time I saw protesters destroying police vehicles and equipment”.

He also pointed out that if the driver wanted to kill the protesters, he would have really hit them. Pedroso said in an interview, “Please get the driver’s side of the story. If he intended to kill, he should have gone straight without stopping.”
PNP Chief Director General Ronald Dela Rosa said, “I’ve seen the video and it makes me sad and furious at the same time. I saw people get hurt. I reallly hate seeing fellow Filipinos getting hurt”. Dela Rosa is in China as part the delegation of President Rodrigo Duterte.

• Warning: Video contains graphic scenes 

However, Dela Rosa defended the driver of the police van, PO3 Franklin Kho. In an interview, the PNP Chief Director said, “The driver panicked because the mob swarmed his vehicle and they trying to roll it over. He wanted to extricate from the area…..from the violent crowd”.

Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson cried foul over the Philippine National Police “police brutality” accusations. Lacson was the Former Chief of Police and now an incumbent senator in the Philippines.

The senator also defended the driver; he claimed that the driver was “threatened by the possibility of being lynched by the protesters”.

Senators’ reaction

Senator Miguel Zubiri questioned the PNP’s statement for ensuring maximum tolerance during the rally. The Senator said in an interview, “Even during Martial Law, protesters have always known that police and protesters can always negotiate for events covered & even outside if their rally permits.”

President Rodrigo Duterte’s known rival, Senator Leila De Lima asked the PNP Chief Bato Dela Rosa for an abrupt inquiry regarding the incident. Two other senators shared De Lima’s sentiment. The Senate President Koko Pimentel III and Senator Nancy Binay also called for a comprehensive review of the law enforcement’s action during the dispersal.

However, Senator Pimentel III, advised the community not to jump into any conclusions without knowing all the facts about the incidence. He said, “The video on its own is very disturbing, but is not the whole picture. We must not pass judgment until we know the whole story.”

PNP Chief Dela Rosa decided that eight Manila Police District (MPD) officers including the driver will be put on administrative leave. However, NCRPO Director Chief Supt. Oscar Albayalde confirmed that the police officers had been relieved from the service.

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Experts Believe Metal Object Could Be Part of Ancient UFO

A chunk of aluminium that looks as if it was handmade is being upheld as 250,000-year-old proof that aliens once visited Earth.

Metallic aluminum was not really created by mankind until around 200 years ago. Hence, the un-earthing of the large fragment that could be up to 250,000 years old is being held as a historic find.

The specifics of the discovery were never revealed at the time because it was dug out of the earth in communist Romania in 1973.

Constructors working on the coasts of the Mures River not far from the central Romanian town of Aiud discovered three objects 10 metres (33 feet) under the ground.

They seemed to be unusual and very old. Archaeologists were brought in and immediately classified two of them as being fossils.

The third appeared like a piece of man-made metal, although very light. Also, it was presumed that it might be the end of an axe.

All three were dispatched to Cluj, the main city of the Romanian region of Transylvania, for further analysis.

It was quickly determined that the two large bones belonged to a large extinct mammal that died 10,000-80,000 years ago. However, experts were shocked to realize that the third object was a piece of very lightweight metal. Moreover, the specimen seemed to have been manufactured.

According to tests, the object is made of 12 metals, 90% aluminum. Romanian officials dated it as being 250,000 years old. A lab in Lausanne, Switzerland later confirmed the initial results.

Other experts who conducted subsequent tests said the dates were altered. The true date should be between 400 and 80,000 years old. But even at 400 years old, it would still be 200 years prior to when aluminum was initially made.

The object is 20 centimeters (7.8 inches) long, 12.5 centimeters (4.9 inches) wide, and 7 centimeters (2.8 inches) thick.

What confounded experts is that the chunk of metal has concavities. These impressions make it seem as if it was fabricated as part of a more complicated mechanical system.

Piece of alien civilization

Now, an impassioned debate is going on that the object is actually part of a UFO. It could also be considered as evidence of visitation by an alien civilization in the past.

Deputy Director of the Romanian Ufologists Association Gheorghe Cohal told local media: “Lab tests concluded it is an old UFO fragment given that the substances it contains cannot be combined with technology available on Earth.”

Local historian Mihai Wittenberger has attempted to argue that the object is actually a metal piece from a World War II German aircraft. But this does not rationalize the age of the artifact.

The metal object has now gone on exhibit in the History Museum of Cluj-Napoca. Its full history caused heated conjecture after it was noted that museum officials had added a sign saying: “origin still unknown”.

 

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China’s LeEco Enters US Consumer Tech Market, Shake Up Looms

LeEco is not a popular brand in the US, but the Chinese technology company is embarking on becoming a household name with smartphones and flat-screen TVs. They want to be known as a developer of products that undercut the prices of Google, Samsung, Apple and other industry stalwarts.

LeEco announced its entrance into the U.S. market during a Wednesday showcase in San Francisco. At the event, the company introduced a sleek smartphone called the LePro 3 that will sell for $400. They also showcased an internet-connected TV with a 7-foot screen priced at $5,000.

LeEco positions the LePro 3 as an option to Google’s Pixel phone and Apple’s latest iPhone. Both have prices that start at $650. LeEco is assuring its giant TV, called the UMax 85, will be as good or superior to other high-end home entertainment systems that cost $8,000.

Both the TV and phone will go on sale Nov. 2 in LeWeb.com, LeEco’s online store. Also, the company is offering a smaller smartphone and smaller TVs with screens varying from 43 inches to 65 inches.

Moreover, LeEco is coming to the U.S. with a high-tech bicycle, a virtual-reality headset, and an electric car in a challenge to Tesla Motors.

The company plans to package the devices with other services. These include an online video suite of movies and shows that ties into its beginnings as the “Netflix of China.”

LeEco, which stands for “Happy Ecosystem,” is diversifying to dare technology leaders who have been able to command a premium for their products, partially because they have been satisfying U.S. consumers for years.

LeEco CEO Jia Yueting said through a translator during a presentation that America is the most important global market for them. “Once we get the hearts and minds of U.S. users, we can move on to the hearts and minds of global users.”

Innovation in the U.S. has come to a logjam. This makes it an ideal time for LeEco to enter the market, Jia said in an interview. He visualizes creating a platform that allows consumers to switch from LeEco TVs to phones to cars to watch its video service and utilize other applications that that company intends to introduce.

Gartner analyst Werner Goertz said the company is using the devices as “Trojan horses” to provide its digital services. “This is a general trend in the industry, and LeEco is a prime example of how companies are subsidizing hardware with ulterior motives.”

Goertz noted that Google is likewise selling its new Pixel phone in an attempt to direct more traffic to its search engine and other services. Nonetheless, that device is being offered at a superior price. Amazon’s Echo also is designed to boost sales at the company’s e-commerce site. Echo is an internet-connected speaker that understands and responds to spoken language,

The prospects for LeEco are reasonable. The research firm Strategy Analytics expects LeEco to sell about 25 million smartphones globally this year. In contrast, Apple had sold 214 million iPhones last year ending in June.

Other Chinese firms that sought to make waves in the U.S. consumer electronics market have hardly made a ripple.

But LeEco is making a major commitment.

Building Ecoworld

The company shelled out $2 billion for budget-TV maker Vizio during the summer. Vizio a popular brand in the U.S. that retails in Costco and other well-known chains. It retains several workers at its U.S. headquarters in San Jose, California, with plans to expand in Silicon Valley. It spent another $250 million earlier this year to grab a 50-acre site in Santa Clara, California. The company aims to build an office complex that could extend over to 3 million square feet and have room for about 12,000 workers. Jia plans to name the complex “EcoWorld.”

Goertz said that they are not taking a half-baked attitude. However, he thinks they are going to be bleeding money for the immediate future. The question is how long they can support this strategy?”

Jia has accumulated an estimated fortune of nearly $5 billion.

Jia will assume a large piece of any losses because he owns half of LeEco. He refused to divulge how much LeEco has splurged in the U.S. so far.

“We are financially prepared to bring a new model and a new value for the U.S. consumers,” Jia said.

 

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Philippines’ Duterte Aligns with China and Russia, Announces ‘Separation From the United States’

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte announced his “separation” from the United States and had realigned with China as they continued with the bilateral talks regarding the South China Sea.

The President made his comments Thursday in Beijing, where he was accompanied by 200 prominent Filipino business people. They are seeking a new chapter in a new economic alliance with China.

In a business forum, President Duterte told the Chinese and Filipino business people, “I announce my separation from the United States”. This was followed by applause while in the presence of the Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli.

“Both in military, not maybe social, but economics also. America has lost,” he added.
Newly elected President Duterte declared the reversal in foreign policy, months after the international tribunal ruled that China has no historic rights in the South China Sea.

$13.5 billion deals will be signed during the China trip, according to Philippine Trade Secretary, Ramon Lopez.

President Duterte added, “I’ve realigned myself in your ideological flow and maybe I will also go to Russia to talk to (President Vladimir) Putin and tell him that there are three of us against the world – China, Philippines and Russia. It’s the only way.”

The Philippines has been a long-time ally of the United States in Asia. President Duterte’s remarks, nonetheless, will raise new concern between the two countries.

The President’ predecessor signed an agreement giving U.S. forces access to Philippine bases. Further doubts are now raised about the future of this arrangement.

However, White House spokesman Ned Price said, Washington and Manila has a traditional alliance that cannot easily be broken.

“The U.S.-Philippines alliance is built on a 70-year history, rich people-to-people ties, including a vibrant Filipino-American diaspora, and a long list of shared security interests,” spokesman Ned Price added, “We also remain one of the Philippines’ strongest economic partners; the current stock of U.S. foreign direct investment stands above $4.7 billion.”

President Duterte’s Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez and Economic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia released a statement hours after his speech saying, “Asian economic integration is long overdue.”

“We will maintain relations with the West but we desire stronger integration with our neighbors,” they added”. We share the culture and a better understanding of our region.”

China rolls out red carpet

China prepared a great welcome for President Duterte, including a marching band complete with baton-twirling band master at his official greeting ceremony outside the Great Hall of the People, which is not extended to most international leaders.

The meeting of the two Presidents was called a “milestone” between the two countries ties.

President Xi Jinping told President Duterte that the two countries were like brothers and they could “appropriately handle disputes”. On the other hand, he did not mention the South China Sea in the presence of reporters.

“I hope we can follow the wishes of the people and use this visit as an opportunity to push China-Philippines relations back on a friendly footing and fully improve things,” President Xi said.

President Duterte said the country’s relation with China had entered a new “springtime.” Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenn added, “The South China Sea issue was not the sum total of relations.”

China claims most of the South China Sea, where almost $5 trillion in ship-borne trade transits every year. Neighbours Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims.

In 2012, China has taken over the disputed Scarborough Shoal, denying Filipino fishermen access to their traditional fishing grounds.

Chinese Foreign Minister said both countries had agreed on coastguard and fisheries cooperation. He did not mention if they would give Filipino fishermen access to the shoal.

‘Goodbye my friend’

President Duterte’s position towards China is in direct contrast to the United States.

He has called the U.S. President Barack Obama a “son of a bitch,” and told him to “go to hell,” after the US criticized his bloody war on drugs.

On Wednesday, President Duterte said Philippine foreign policy was turning towards China.
“I will not go to America anymore. We will just be insulted there,” Duterte said. “So time to say goodbye my friend.”

The same day hundreds of Anti-U.S protesters gathered in front of the U.S. embassy in Manila. The activists were calling for the removal of U.S troops from the island of Mindanao.

President Duterte’s foreign policy from Washington to Beijing is unlikely to be popular at home. A recent poll showed the majority of Filipinos still trust the US more than China.

President Duterte said the South China Sea arbitration case would “take the back seat,” while talks are in motion. He said further that he would rather wait for the Chinese to bring up the issue rather than doing so himself.

According to the Chinese foreign minister, issues that could not be immediately resolved should be set aside.

China has also expressed their support for his war on drugs, which recently raised some concerns about extrajudicial killings.

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