Hello everyone. We’ve noticed that many of you had questions regarding spall liners on tanks and armor in general. To avoid any misunderstandings, we’d like to briefly answer some of these elements below.
The effectiveness of the M1 Abrams
We’ll soon be releasing a dev blog on the hull armor for the M1 Abrams series of tanks, where we’ll explain why we believe that hull armor was not reinforced on production vehicles. However, we’re not satisfied with the current effectiveness of all M1 variants with a 120 mm gun, so we’re looking at other ways to improve them.
The first consideration is the addition of a new M829A3 shell which we’ve also seen requests and suggestions for. We’ve discussed this option, but the addition of this shell in comparison with the M829A2 will not enhance the Abrams capability against top-tier vehicles that are equipped with modern armor and built-in ERA systems. We’re still considering the possibility of adding the M829A3 shell, but as a first change, we’re going to increase the rate of fire of first-stage ammo from 6 to 5 seconds per shot on an Ace level crew, which’ll make the Abrams more effective against all opponents. This rate of fire is possible considering the size and weight of most shells for 105 mm guns are comparable to shells for a 120 mm gun. This is due to the fact that the 120 mm cartridge case is partially combustible, while the 105 mm case is metal. For example, a 105 mm shell with an M900 projectile has a length of 1003 mm and a weight of 18.5 kg, and a 120 mm M829A2 has a length of 982 mm and a weight of 20.3 kg.
The Leopard 2A7V’s armor
We always try to bring the characteristics of vehicles presented in the game as close as possible to the documented characteristics of real vehicles. In the case of the protection of the Leopard 2A7V, we rely on information about the Leopard 2 armor package presented at the Swedish tender. We have no reliable evidence that armor enhancements compared to the prototype submitted to the Swedish tender were ever carried out, nor the level to which the armor could have been enhanced if this had been done, so at this time we don’t believe that it’s possible to further enhance the protection of this tank.
As for the difference in protection between the Swedish versions of the Leopard 2 and the German Leopard 2A7V (the Swedish versions have more, which may seem illogical). This is due to the fact that the Swedish versions of these tanks received their own, completely new, reinforced armor package of their own production, both in the hull and and on the turret (which is also confirmed by protection data obtained in tests for the tender).
At the same time, we’d like to note that the current level of protection of the Leopard 2A7V currently is that the majority of the frontal area is protected against any 120-125 mm APFSDS presented in the game. Regarding the slightly lower turret protection than the Leopard 2A6, small differences in durability within ~2~5% do not affect this tank’s protection, and are due to the difference in vehicle geometry. In the near future, we will update the DM for Leopard 2 tanks, therefore correcting any minor discrepancies.
We’d also like to separately note that some players believe that the protection of the Leopard 2A7V presented in the game is based on the “B” package. However, according to the data we have, this is not the case. As you can see from the armor resistance diagrams from the Swedish tender, the mounted package D-2 in combination with package B provides protection of only 45% of the frontal projection from APFSDS with a penetration of 600mm, but in the game a different combination of armor protection packages is presented, providing protection of more than 65% of the frontal projection from threats of this type.
Protection of Leopard 2I (improved), based on B package with an add-on kit of D-2: more than 55% vulnerable to APFSDS with a penetration of 600mm.
Spall liners for the Ariete, Merkava and Leclerc
We’re currently studying and adding spall liners for Ariete tanks. These tanks will receive spall liners in a future update.
As for the Merkava series of tanks, we have information that these tanks do not have spall liners. We’ve studied information from open sources and apart from armored steel, we did not find any other protection on the sides of the Merkava’s fighting compartment.
At the moment we don’t have reliable data from open sources about the precedence of spall liners on the Leclerc series of tanks.
Battle Rating 12.7 for Aviation
We’re closely monitoring the data and believe that at the moment, there’s no need for an increase to the current Battle Rating threshold for aviation from 12.3 to 12.7. This is because the current efficiency of all new aircraft except the JAS39s is at the level of previously introduced Battle Rating 12.3 aircraft. As for the Gripens, their flight model has been revised, and we’ll monitor their effectiveness after these changes.
Tornado IDS WTD61
We decided not to expand the range of weapons of the Tornado IDS WTD61, since we’re not sure that this aircraft could carry a targeting pod and guided bombs. However, we’re closely monitoring this aircraft’s performance and are ready to make other changes if necessary.
Topics for upcoming Development blogs
We’re working on your reports on the Challenger 2 series of tanks, and many of these issues have already been fixed. We’ll publish answers to some questions regarding these tanks in the near future. In addition to this, a development blog about the changes to the parameters of Stinger and Mistral MANPADS missiles is planned for release in the very near future, so keep an eye out on the news for that.


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The Great Northern Bed & Breakfast invites you to come enjoy the intimacy of a renovated 1909 farm cottage!
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domain: travel


text:
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domain: artistic


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Meet the Man Responsible for Adele’s Perfect Eyeliner
Ever since Adele released 19, the beauty world has been thinking hard about her eyeliner. The source of that elusively perfect cat-eye swoosh is her longtime makeup artist and hairstylist Michael Ashton, who has worked with Louise Roe, Hilary Swank, and Chris Pratt. Ashton doesn’t often give interviews, but he talked to the Cut about how he started his career in New Zealand, why product cocktailing is the key to getting Adele-worthy liner, and the importance of a good face massage. Click through the slideshow for some more of Adele’s best beauty looks, and see his favorite seven beauty products below.
How did you start your career?
I’d always done my mother’s hair and makeup growing up. My uncle Sir Howard Morrison was an entertainer in New Zealand, and I would go backstage and help get my grandmother ready before she performed with him. I remember, my mother had a NutriMedics kit with these amazing eye shadows that you could use wet or dry.
I always wanted to do makeup growing up, but in New Zealand, at the time, you had to learn to do both hair and makeup. I started working part-time at a salon whilst I was still at high school and then went onto train at Servilles Academy of hairdressing. At 19 I won the New Zealand Young Protegé scholarship for hairdressing and after having taught myself make up with a little help from Kevyn Aucoin’s book Making Faces, I was booked on my first fashion shoot, a campaign for New Zealand designer Nom*D. I first started working with celebrities when Girls Aloud and Jamelia came to New Zealand on promotional trips and had started travelling to New York working alongside the M.A.C Pro team with Gordon Espinet. When I first moved to London in 2006, I assisted Val Garland and Dick Page on the show circuit both here in the U.K. and Europe. It was through a friend in PR that I worked with Bianca Jagger and Elle McPherson and that’s when I began to focus on the red carpet.
How do you see a face? How would you describe your approach?
I try to gauge the client as a person and what they feel comfortable in. It’s about not scaring them, but still putting your mark on it as well. It’s always a very collaborative process. I tend to start with the eyes, whether it’s a smokey eye or clean eye.
You need to look at the person and see if they are more of an eye or lip person, and how they might like the texture of their skin, whether it’s more dewy or matte. If you look at my work together, you see it’s about making them look flawless but not too perfect.
Old-school Hollywood is a big reference for me, with iconic films and print images. They look very put-together — Elizabeth Taylor, Grace Kelly, and Lauren Bacall were stunning. Also photographers like Helmut Newton. But it’s more about a feeling, whether it’s a texture in the hair or a tone of the lip.
How do you prep the skin before you begin working on it?
Skin preparation and skin care is key. There are also some amazing sleeping masks. I’m a huge fan of facial oils and balms that really nourish the skin. It’s about making the skin look hydrated and doesn’t lose that elasticity.
Facial massages are also amazing. Sometimes you have hours, sometimes five minutes. It’s not just plumping the skin but working the product in. I work across the face, focusing on the forehead first, nose area, but always working up and outwards, also going up the throat, through the jawline. I do it with the moisturizer or with facial oil. It’s a great way to get the products on and to awaken the facial muscles.
How did you and Adele start working together?
We were introduced through a mutual friend in the summer of 2007 leading up to the release of her first album, 19. I popped over to her house to trim her fringe and she asked if I could do a quick bit of eyeliner for her before she went to meet friends. The eyeliner obviously got the seal of approval and the rest, as they say, is history.
The first beauty looks we did together were for a collection of images to coincide with the release of 19. Adele has beautiful almond-shaped eyes and fantastic natural bone structure, which is the perfect canvas to work with, so at the beginning it was always about making the eyes a focus feature. We played around with different eyeliner looks, lashes, and some dazzling dustings of metallic glitters.
How do you create Adele’s cat-eye?
Product cocktailing is key to achieving the intensity and opaqueness of the eyeliner. I always start by outlining the shape of the liner, working from the inner to outer corner of the eye with a black gel liner. I then work the product right into the root of the lashes and then build thickness gradually. Once I’m finished creating the desired shape, I use a waterproof liquid liner with a precision tip to intensify and refine the line, finishing by winging the end of the liner last.
I have a couple of fantastic eyeliner brushes I picked up in a little beauty store in Japan years ago and they have the perfect taper. They’re thicker at the bottom, which allows a quick application of product, but the tip is extremely fine so you can gently drag out the wing of the liner until it fades away into the finest point. If I do need to clean up any edges, I’m never without Bioderma Crealine and Muji thin cotton tips close by.
In another interview, you called Adele “a modern beauty icon relevant to today’s woman.” Why do you think she’s so relevant?
I think her beauty look resonates with people because it’s aspirational but also extremely achievable. It seems everyone is always wanting to try and wear the latest beauty looks from the runway or the high street and often it just doesn’t translate. Adele is known for her makeup, but what makes her a modern beauty icon is the strength of keeping things simple and classic so they stand the test of time.
I’ve noticed that Adele has also been wearing more red lip colors during promotion for 25. How are you achieving this look?
I’ve always loved a red lip on a woman — it’s a great way to amp up the volume of any beauty look. At the moment I have a few different products in my kit, but one that I’m using a lot is a liquid lipstick, Lip Maestro by Armani, which has a demi-matte finish. I start by applying the product onto the lip with a lip brush and then have the client distribute the color by rubbing their lips together in different directions. To finish, I will either feather the edges using my fingertip, or, for a more defined shape, I will sketch the outline using a slightly darker lipliner for added dimension.
What type of contour do you use to create Adele’s look? It always looks so perfectly sculpted.
Contouring and highlighting the face is the ultimate way of creating a truly three-dimensional polish. Contouring is another time when product cocktailing works so well to give added depth. I always start using a cream stick in a deep-brown shade, applying product first to the back of my hand and then buffing it into the skin using a natural hair foundation brush — right underneath the cheekbone toward the center of the face, through the temples and around the hairline, then lightly down each side of the nose.
The second stage is to go back over using a powder and an angled blusher brush in a circular buffing motion to set and soften. I have a palette of contour colors, which are a mixture of matte shadows, blushes, and bronzers as well as some with soft reflective finishes — mixing them together depending on the finish I’m wanting to achieve.
When it comes to Adele’s look, do you take care to make the cat-eye look a little different each time?
It is always a collaborative process. We have worked together for so long now that we have our own memory bank of references to work from, so it might be “let’s do classic liner, but with the shimmer through like we did on SNL and just lip balm.” It’s brilliant because we know we are both reading from the same page, so to speak.
Michael Ashton’s seven favorite products:
Bobbi Brown Extra Illuminating Moisture Balm: Skin prep is one of the most important stages of makeup, and this moisture-rich balm instantly makes skin look hydrated, plump, and glowing.
Lucas Paw Paw Ointment: The ultimate multipurpose product for lush lips, shimmering lids, and a freshly flushed sheen on the cheeks.
Tom Ford Cream Foundation Brush: When it comes to achieving a flawless and polished base, this is my go-to brush that helps create a cashmere-soft texture to the skin.
Charlotte Tilbury Eyes to Mesmerize: For creating a soft but dramatic eye quickly, these pots of metallic cream shadows are perfect. Custom blend shades together for the perfect hue and then buff metallic eye shadow on top for an expensive-looking finish.
Diorshow Black Out Mascara: Fantastic for party-pumping up your lash volume to a rich, blacker-than-black flirty flutter.
Duo Lash Glue in Black: When it comes to making sure lashes stay the distance, there isn’t a better lash glue out there. The best thing about the glue being black is it helps to blend false lashes into the natural lash line, and it also dries matte, which makes it more seamless.
M.A.C Lip Pencil in Boldly Bare: An absolute makeup kit must-have for creating the illusion of a full and defined pout, without being too obvious.
This interview has been condensed and edited.


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It’s a common belief among many gamers that 2018 was a better year than 2019, but honestly, I don’t buy into it. While there wasn’t one title that was unanimously proclaimed the best game of the year (ala 2018’s God of War), I believe there was a better breadth of quality games in 2019. Nintendo in particular had a pretty strong year, with a crazy release schedule from April to November, and some huge first-party titles in the mix (hello Mario Maker 2, Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Link’s Awakening, Luigi’s Mansion 3, and Pokemon Sword/Shield!). Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to play a bunch of quality games that undoubtedly may have made my list. These include games like Outer Wilds, Knights & Bikes, Cadence of Hyrule, and Dragon Quest Builders 2. Additionally, huge shoutout to Gato Robato, a great little Metroidvania game with a ton of personality, and Automachef, which would have been #11 on this list and deserves major props for its eclectic soundtrack and original puzzle/sim gameplay and premise; if you love simulations and/or games about logistics, give it a go! That said, here are my top 10 games of 2019. 10. Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 The combat might be a bit repetitive and not as complex as I initially hoped (the original game had more variance with number of moves and specials you could pull off), but I really can’t complain too much after the series’ nearly decade-long absence. Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 has style and presentation in spades, and it’s great to see most of Marvel’s big heroes altogether on one screen once again. There’s just something so cool about watching your entire team take out a mob of villains/ninjas/what-have-you in the middle of places like Shadowland, Xavier’s mansion, and Avengers Tower. Huge props to Team Ninja for making the boss battles unique and interesting as well; this entry may very well be the best in that regard, specifically. 9. Mechstermination Force This title combines two of my favorite things – Shadow of the Colossus and robots/Kaiju (maybe three things, I guess?). Mechstermination Force takes from the former’s game design and adds to it by putting you in interesting, unique scenarios with each giant robot. Not only do you have to scale and find/destroy each robot mech’s weak points; you also have to adopt to their different fighting stances and forms throughout each level, making for one of the most creative 2D shooters I’ve ever played. 8. Wargroove So… I’ve never played any of the Advance Wars games before. And now I can see what I’ve missed out on for so long because Wargroove plays like Advance Wars mixed with Fire Emblem’s more medieval/fantasy-like setting (but more like the former purely in terms of gameplay). Giving players the option to build and decide what units they want to use while in the midst of a battle really gives you the option to approach most levels a number of different ways, giving the game a much more unique feel than Fire Emblem’s offense-centric approach. The campaign throws a variety of different map scenarios each with their own unique terrain and challenges at you as well, so it never feels like you’re simply replaying the same battle over and over with slightly different units. 7. SteamWorld Quest (check out GP's full review of the game here) Image & Form has made two great Metroidvania titles and one brilliant tactics title in the SteamWorld series so far, so it only makes sense that they would continue to break new ground with a new genre – that being an RPG. Or rather: card-based battling RPG. ...has one of the most memorable, compelling battle systems in an RPG this side of Octopath Traveler. SteamWorld Quest could have been a big miss if Image & Form weren’t careful; thankfully, it has one of the most memorable, compelling battle systems in an RPG this side of Octopath Traveler. Combine that with a great script with both plenty of heart and humor and some great music and visuals, and you’ve got another SteamWorld success. 6. Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair Despite it being highly anticipated before its release, the first Yooka-Laylee game landed with a bit of a thud. It turns out people weren’t quite as big on 3D collectathons as they initially thought, but Playtonic quickly and correctly shifted course with their next attempt at the series by making the game into a 2D platformer this time around. ...might even rival Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze; high praise indeed. And wouldn’t you know it – that old Rare magic began to shine through once again. Fortunately, they didn’t completely give up on the 3D platforming aspect either. Instead, they combined it with the overworld map for a truly unique spin on the game while making the levels in 2D. The resulting interaction between the two play types makes for an experience that might even rival Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze; high praise indeed. 5. Kingdom Hearts 3 After so many years of waiting, it’s difficult to believe that Kingdom Hearts 3 isn’t 100% the game everyone wanted. Some of this has to do with disappointments on the gameplay side (the Frozen world; nuff said), but a lot of it stems from creator Tetsuya Nomura not paying off certain story arcs and narrative choices that had been previously set up for the finale. Axel/Lea and Kairi get sidelined for most of the game when the ending of DDD had set up that they’d play a more critical role (not to mention missing a huge opportunity to make both or even just Kairi playable at a certain point), and it becomes apparent by the end that Kairi is never truly given any agency in the games and is merely used as a damsel in distress for the sake of the plot. Never has the battle system been bigger, better, bolder, and even flashier, with some of the best and most vibrant visuals of this generation. Yet, despite these disappointments, Kingdom Hearts 3 still sticks the landing for the most part. Never has the battle system been bigger, better, bolder, and even flashier, with some of the best and most vibrant visuals of this generation. Most of the Disney worlds chosen make up the best selection of any of the Kingdom Hearts games, and the graphics have finally caught up to Pixar’s and Disney’s advances in animation, replicating a near-identical look to many of their 3D animated movie counterparts. Also, the game ties up Xehanort’s story arc with an epic finish in the game’s final 4-5 hours, with one of the most impressive final boss fights in the series to date. I only hope that we don’t have to wait another 13 years before the next game arrives. 4. Shovel Knight: King of Cards I loved the original Shovel Knight campaign (now known as “Shovel of Hope”) in 2014, and despite giving Plague Knight’s campaign a try, it never quite caught on with me. Because of this, I also skipped Specter Knight’s campaign two years after that. But something about the fourth campaign being centered on King Knight really made me want to give it a try. ...the best Shovel Knight campaign to date. And I’m glad I did, because you could make a real case for King of Cards being the best Shovel Knight campaign to date. The platforming is top notch, focusing on traversing the terrain with Wario Land-esque shoulder-bashing and a Ducktales-inspired pogo jump to spin off of enemies and objects. But the real star of the game is the brand new card-based minigame, Joustus. It’s smart, addictive, and has enough depth to rival long-established thinking-games like chess. Oh, and the script is hilarious to boot; Yacht Club has never felt more comfortable in their own shoes than they have been when they were writing this game. 3. The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening The announcement reveal of the Switch remake of Link’s Awakening at the beginning of 2019 was, in a word, surreal. I never ruled out a remake of the game as something that could happen, but no one could have predicted that it would be remade with so much charm and originality. Yes, I’m someone who thinks the plastic/toy-like look to the visuals makes for an amazing aesthetic. It’s the second-bravest thing Nintendo has done to the Zelda series since they decided on the Ghibli-esque cel-shaded approach to The Wind Waker in 2003. Along with a new arrangement of the classic soundtrack, new life has been given to a classic in what is undoubtedly the definitive version of the game now. ...still holds up and has, in fact, made many aware that it is a better 2D Zelda game than even A Link to the Past. Link’s Awakening’s gameplay still holds up and has, in fact, made many aware that it is a better 2D Zelda game than even A Link to the Past. Yes, I did go there. But seriously, this game is magical. Go play it. 2. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order There are so many ways Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order could have been a disaster. Or merely an extension of the okay-to-decent Star Wars games we’ve been getting for a decade now. But Respawn did it. Holy cow… they did it. They made the first great single-player Star Wars game since… what, The Force Unleashed? Maybe even Knights of the Old Republic 2? To be fair, Fallen Order could be a much tighter experience. It’s janky, likely due to EA launching the game a good half year before it was ready to come out of the oven. But it’s absolutely playable despite the occasional technical hiccup. And really, how impressive is it that the game came out as good as it did despite launching in less-than-ideal circumstances? This is a game that undoubtedly feels like you’re watching a Star Wars movie as you play. In any case, Fallen Order crafts an original tale that ties into the wider Star Wars mythos in a fairly meaningful way. Cal Kestis isn’t initially a great protagonist but the game does a great job making you care about him by gradually diving into his Jedi upbringing in the past. Cinematics are pretty fabulous as well; this is a game that undoubtedly feels like you’re watching a Star Wars movie as you play. Its story would feel right at home alongside other Star Wars side stories such as Solo, Rogue One, and The Mandalorian. But really, all I want to do is gush about how this game gives us the best lightsaber combat of any Star Wars game to date. Two of the lightsaber fights in the game made me feel like I was in a Star Wars movie; a far cry from the wild, aimless lightsaber swinging experienced in the Jedi Knight games from the early aughts. Fallen Order is the complete package: great storytelling, great gameplay, great world, great atmosphere. Where does Respawn go from here? I hope to know sooner versus later. 1. Fire Emblem: Three Houses You know what’s weird? I wasn’t initially super hyped for Three Houses despite the series being one of my all-time favorites. I didn’t know what to make of the inclusion of an academy, the MC being a professor teaching students, and participating in things like tea time with your students. It all sounded like the furthest thing I wanted from my Fire Emblem experience. Little did I know that it would be one of the best and most compelling things they ever did to the franchise. The ability to select what each of your students can learn, right down to stat bonuses, weapon proficiency, and skills is the most control Intelligent Systems has ever given you over your own units. It’s utterly gratifying to see your students progress from inefficient greenhorns to masters of their craft, dominating enemy units in battle. ...one of, if not the deepest Fire Emblem stories to date. The academy itself lends players a unique opportunity to see the larger plot through the eyes of your students in your coversations with them and also develop relationships with them by doing different activities together, making them come alive as characters. And even though the plot is a bit thicker and juicier in the first half of the game, it throws enough twists and surprises into the mix to make this one of, if not the deepest Fire Emblem stories to date. There are a lot of fascinating themes and concepts that are tackled as well, both through support conversations and the main plot. I haven’t even mentioned the actual tactical gameplay, which is as sharp as ever and gave me a real run for my money with many battles (I played on Hard). Fire Emblem: Three Houses is the real deal, and likely the best game in the series. If Intelligent Systems can continue to build on what they created with this game, Fire Emblem’s future is going to be bright indeed.

domain: entertainment


Advice for buyers
What should I look for in a used Ford S-Max MPV?
Despite the generally durable nature of the Ford S-Max, it is still worthwhile checking the interior for any rips, tears or stains in the upholstery. These cars tend to be bought by families and private hire taxi firms, so it's possible that many different people have sat in its seats – possibly those who don’t care as much about the car as you do.
Check all the cubbies to make sure the lids covering them work as they should. The seats should slide backwards and forwards just as easily as they did when new. Then check the rear bumper, because suitcases may have been simply dragged out of the load area, dropping down onto the top of the bumper and potentially damaging it.
An A/C Compressor pulley may become detached.
The driver's airbag may not deploy correctly.
A number of vehicles fitted with a 1.0 1.5 or 1.6 Ecoboost engine and six-speed manual transmission could suffer clutch pressure plate fracture. This results in clutch smell reduced vehicle speed and performance. In the unlikely event of clutch pressure plate fracture, a noise (thud/bang) could be heard from the vicinity of the transmission in extreme cases resulting in clutch/transmission fragments being released and striking underhood components creating a risk of smoke and fire from the underhood area.
A possible thermal incident can occur within the battery monitor sensor wiring.
The Rear Suspension Toe Link bolt is exposed to corrosion growth which over time leads to reduced material and load capacity and finally to a breakage of the bolt.


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Both the extent of concentrated poverty (the share of the poor that live in low-income neighborhoods) and regional equity (disparity in conditions between lower- and higher-income neighborhoods) are critical indicators of a community's well-being. In the nation's 100 largest metropolitan areas, concentrated poverty worsened somewhat overall in the early 2000s, while disparities narrowed modestly for most social and economic measures. However, metros differed dramatically from each other on both counts. The two concepts are also not closely correlated: many metros have high concentrated poverty but low disparity between neighborhoods, and the reverse is also true.
To reuse content from Urban Institute, visit copyright.com, search for the publications, choose from a list of licenses, and complete the transaction.

domain: geography


text:
By Brig. Gen. Robert A. Doughty
Harmon Memorial Lecture, U.S. Air Force Academy, 17 March 2009
|Marshal Foch Would Be the Key Figure for |
the Allies in the War's End Game
(Part I Presented on Yesterday's Posting)
Though the French sensed the end of the war was near, a wealth of information did not reveal what the Germans actually would do or how long the war would last. As late as November 7, intelligence reports emphasized preparations in Germany “for a supreme struggle of unknown duration” but noted the lack of German national unity or agreement on waging such a struggle.
This ambiguity created great concern among French leaders. In February 1919 Clemenceau told a parliamentary commission, “If we had been better informed, we would have imposed much harsher conditions.” In reality, better information would have made little difference since the Germans themselves did not know what they were going to do.
Given the desire of the French people for peace, fatigue of the French army, specter of a massively destructive final campaign, and possibility of the other Allies sabotaging France’s victory, what could France do to accomplish its goals? Several strategic alternatives came from the collapse of Austria-Hungary in late October. This collapse not only left Germany virtually alone in the war against the Allies but also increased Germany’s vulnerability. First, there was the possibility of an attack into southern Germany. On November 5, the day after Austria-Hungary accepted an armistice, the Allied Supreme War Council, led by Marshal Foch, approved the launching of an operation into southern Germany with about thirty Italian and five French and British divisions. Planners foresaw a two-pronged invasion through regions of Austria heavily populated by ethnic Germans, one across the Alps from Innsbruck and the other along the Danube River from Linz.
Whatever the strategic opportunities may have been, it was clear an Italian-dominated drive across Austria into Bavaria would be neither simple nor easy, especially with winter approaching. An intelligence summary on November 4 noted Germany’s efforts to encourage rebellion in Austria-Hungary or even to send troops to maintain order in Austria. Moreover, the Italians demonstrated little enthusiasm for the campaign, and the French Premier, Georges Clemenceau, had to intervene personally “numerous” times to gain their cooperation. A frank assessment came from General Buat, Pétain’s chief of staff, in a conversation with an American liaison officer. The American recorded Buat’s words and facial expression: “Do you think the Italians would go to Bavaria? (Smiling knowingly), not on your life—never—.So what have you left? The French and British. Yes they’ll go but there are not very many of them [only five divisions] and so practically the threat is not so serious as it sounds. It is a menace, an important menace, the idea of attacking Germany from the south, but it’s a moral—a mental menace—more than a physical menace.”
German military leaders recognized the difficulty of an attack across Austria, and in a meeting with the German chancellor on October 17 General Ludendorff downplayed the danger from an attack into southern Germany. Ironically, the threat of such an invasion ultimately had a greater effect on the morale of German civilians and the outbreak of revolution in Bavaria than it did on the strategic thinking of German military leaders.
The French also considered the possibility of strategic bombing. Throughout the war the French had been reluctant to bomb German cities because their own cities were close to the front lines and German cities more distant. Additionally, French commanders were unwilling to consider an independent role for heavy bombers; they wanted aircraft to support their sorely pressed troops. In the final months of the war most French bombs fell beyond the Western Front in a triangular area bounded by Amiens, Metz, and Mézières, but some fell on German cities along the Rhine River (Mannheim, Mainz, Koblenz, etc.) in attacks on factories and in reprisal raids. With the collapse of the Austrians, new opportunities for strategic bombing emerged. The French recognized heavy bombers could fly one-way from France to Prague and by reducing cities in southern Germany to “ashes” could reveal the “horrors of war” to the German people. The French also recognized heavy bombers could fly out of Prague and inflict significant damage on Berlin. In the final days of the war, the French began preparing for such a campaign. Although they had sufficient aircraft to damage some German cities, they knew they did not have enough aircraft for a war-winning campaign. Building the air fleet for such a campaign would take at least a year and would consume an enormous amount of resources. Thus, neither strategic bombing nor an offensive into southern Germany offered realistic possibilities for ending the war quickly.
Even though the news was filled with reports about a possible armistice, the French had no choice but to prepare for a massively destructive final campaign, should the threatened “supreme struggle of unknown duration” occur. They made a special effort to gain even greater output from their hard-pressed factories, especially artillery, tanks, and aircraft.
Additionally, they looked to their colonies for new sources of manpower for an offensive into Germany. Soldiers from Indochina and Africa already had reinforced the French army. Many of these colonial subjects had performed superbly, a fact not overlooked by French leaders who cringed at the prospect of running out of soldiers from metropolitan France. Clemenceau optimistically talked about adding 100,000 Senegalese soldiers to the French army. Strong resistance in France’s colonies, however, demonstrated the colonial subjects’ reluctance to become part of a “supreme struggle.”
Practically speaking, the only realistic alternative for continuing an offensive into Germany came from the Western Front. French political and military leaders recognized the enormous challenges of a drive into Germany, across the Rhine, and toward Berlin. Yet, the Allies had no plans for crossing the Rhine River, even though—as Foch later asserted—“Once this barrier was conquered, Germany was at the mercy of the Allies....”
In fact, they had no significant bridging capability and their planning involved little more than maps with arrows drawn across them. When one considers the enormously detailed planning completed in World War II for crossing the Rhine River, one can only conclude that the Allies expected to seize intact bridges across the Rhine, much as American forces did at Remagen in World War II. One does not have to be an accomplished strategist to realize that crossing the Rhine could have become one of the most difficult and costly operations of the war, especially if the Germans had fought a final battle of annihilation. For obvious reasons, the French preferred to do something other than fight their way across the Rhine.
One alternative was to destroy the German army with a massive thrust from Lorraine into its rear. Initial planning for such an offensive began in early September 1918 and foresaw thirty divisions attacking across a front of sixty kilometers. Final plans anticipated the offensive beginning on November 14 or, in other words, three days after what became the day of the armistice. Though planning proceeded, many practical problems appeared in an operation that looked good on paper but tough on the ground. The region had few railways and roads, and the French encountered formidable challenges in getting units and supplies assembled for the offensive. In the aftermath of the Meuse-Argonne offensive, they also had trouble getting as much American participation as they desired. Despite the Germans’ vulnerability, the French did not accelerate preparations and launch the incompletely prepared offensive. As Foch later observed, an offensive in Lorraine could have succeeded only if German resistance collapsed in front of it. In his memoirs he noted the offensive initially would encounter only small enemy forces and have a “brilliant start and a rapid advance of several dozen kilometers.” After this, however, “[I]t would undoubtedly encounter the devastation that was already slowing the march of the other armies. It would add its efforts to theirs, it would enlarge, reinforce them without changing their nature.”
The offensive also ran the risk of failing and thereby reviving the Germans’ will to fight. Instead of a relatively narrow thrust into the German rear, Marshal Foch preferred converging attacks along the Western Front by the French, British, and Americans. In essence, he sought a series of blows to keep the Germans off balance, prevent them from shifting reserves from one part of the front to another, and keep them from reviving or reconstituting their forces. He illustrated this strategy by punching with his right fist, then his left, and then again with right, followed by a powerful kick.
Recognize that this campaign strategy took advantage of American power on the right and British success on the left. It also kept the increasingly fatigued French army in the fight and gave the enemy no respite. In essence Foch wanted to maintain relentless pressure on the Western Front and expected the Germans eventually to collapse under this relentless pressure. Whether the collapse came from the German people leaving their army in the “lurch” or from the German army losing its cohesion and discipline was important to Foch but not enough for him to oppose an armistice.
As Foch kept pressure on the Germans, Allied leaders met to discuss armistice terms. What was the purpose of this armistice? Clemenceau answered this question in discussions with other Allied leaders on October 31. He said, “One should not confuse the terms of an armistice with the conditions of peace. The armistice has the objective of assuring the victorious armies such a situation that their superiority is clearly established.”
In private discussions with the President of the Third Republic, Raymond Poincaré, however, he had insisted the while terms of an armistice should be “prudent and moderate,” the terms of a peace would not be. In short, Clemenceau wanted an armistice that would ensure the Germans could not resume fighting but would leave the Allies free to dictate harsh terms in a subsequent peace treaty. Such an armistice, he thought, would ensure termination of the conflict, enable France to achieve its war aims, and create a situation in which the conflict could be resolved.
The terms for an armistice with Germany came together in a relatively hasty manner at the end of October. Though the process ostensibly was an Allied one, Clemenceau and Foch played important roles and ensured France’s victory was not “sabotaged.” Foch first proposed armistice terms on October 8 and then discussed them behind closed doors with Clemenceau and Pétain. With Clemenceau’s concurrence, Foch convened a meeting of the other Allied military leaders on October 25 and then, acting on his own as supreme commander, modified the list. The modified terms were discussed and approved by Allied political leaders from October 29 through November 4. British and Italian representatives at these meetings expressed concerns that Foch was asking too much and thereby risked delaying or torpedoing any chances of a halt to hostilities. Although the final list of terms differed somewhat from Foch’s initial proposal, the terms ensured the Germans could not resume hostilities after accepting an armistice. That is, the Germans had to agree to evacuate the territories they had seized (including Alsace and Lorraine); leave their heavy weapons and equipment behind; permit the Allies to occupy bridgeheads across the Rhine River; and relinquish control of the Rhineland (the left bank of the Rhine) as a guarantee for reparations.
Among those privy to the private thoughts of Clemenceau, Foch, and Pétain was General Henri Mordacq, Clemenceau’s military assistant. He notes that on November 11, he heard no one, including military leaders, express regrets about not continuing the war. As Pierre Renouvin has noted, a few French leaders expressed reservations about ending the war too quickly but, in the actual discussion of terms, none of them objected to the armistice. Renouvin also notes that the best known critic of the armistice, Poincaré, primarily feared “false negotiations” by the Germans and did not call for an invasion of Germany and a signing of the armistice in Berlin.
As the terms of the armistice were being crafted, the main objection to an armistice came from General Pershing. Though Pershing had concurred on October 25 with the main terms of the armistice, he later had doubts and on October 30 he wrote: “I believe the complete victory can only be obtained by continuing the war until we force unconditional surrender from Germany....” In that same letter he expressed support for an armistice with terms “so rigid that under no circumstances could Germany again take up arms.”
When an American colonel delivered Pershing’s letter to Foch, the French marshal was leaving shortly for a meeting of the Supreme War Council and could spend only a few minutes with him. After reading the letter quickly, Foch instructed the American to “tell General Pershing that I am in agreement with his views, and he need not be anxious regarding this matter; what I am demanding of the Germans is the equivalent of what he wants and when I have finished with them they will be quite powerless to do any further damage.”
Foch clearly had no desire to derail the armistice. A few days before the armistice, Clemenceau and Foch met to discuss the terms, and the Tiger asked the Marshal if he had any reservations about signing the armistice. Foch responded that rejecting the armistice and continuing the war would be “gambling for high stakes.” He foresaw another fifty to a hundred thousand French soldiers being killed for “very questionable results,” and he saw no need for any further bloodshed. Foch said the same thing to Colonel Edward M. House, Wilson’s personal envoy in the final days of the war. He said, “Fighting means struggling for certain results. If the Germans now sign an armistice under the general conditions we have just determined, those results are in our possession. This being achieved, no man has the right to cause another drop of blood to be shed.” When queried by the British Prime Minister, David Lloyd George, on how long it would take to drive the Germans across the Rhine if they refused to sign the armistice, Foch responded: “Maybe three, maybe four or five months. Who knows?”
In none of these discussions did Foch suggest delaying the armistice. Foch met with the German delegates on the morning of November 8 near Rethendes northeast of Paris. After receiving the armistice terms offered by Foch, the Germans complained strongly about their severity. Much to the surprise—and pleasure—of the French, however, they—after getting permission from Berlin—accepted the tough terms. On November 11, they signed the armistice and the fighting ended. By yielding bridgeheads across the Rhine to the Allies and by abandoning much of their heavy equipment, the Germans gave up any capability they may have had to continue the war; they also opened the way for Clemenceau to seek harsh terms in the Treaty of Versailles.
In retrospect, the armistice terminated the conflict but it did not resolve it or prevent a future conflict. It also did not ensure France’s security in the post-war period. One powerful myth that came out of the armistice was the famous “stab in the back” myth. German critics of the armistice (people such as Adolf Hitler) insisted the German army had not been defeated but instead had been stabbed in the back by German politicians. To use another phrase, German politicians had left the army in a “lurch.” On the other side of the hill French critics of the armistice insisted the armistice had ended the war prematurely.
Within days after the signing of the armistice, critics charged Foch with having accepted a “premature” peace and complained about France’s not launching an offensive in Lorraine. They watched with regret as German forces returned to Germany, sometimes as cohesive units without the stigma of defeat. At the end of November the American liaison officer to Pétain’s headquarters participated in a discussion that included Pétain's chief of staff (General Buat) and his operations officer (General Duval); he reported “their great regret that the war had not continued for almost two weeks.” In that same report the American liaison officer reported the assessment of a French colonel in Pétain’s headquarters: “Viewed in the light of history, it is quite possible that it will appear that the war terminated a little prematurely and thus left the seed for further difficulties, difficulties which might have been entirely obviated by a crushing military defeat of the German Army.”
As the colonel predicted, the French official history of the events of 1918 lamented the suspension of hostilities which had enabled the Germans to avoid a “certain and irremediable disaster.” After the war Pétain reinforced criticisms of the supposedly “premature” peace by saying he had asked Foch to delay the armistice. He insisted—long after the opportunity for action had passed—that he had asked Foch to delay the armistice and launch the Lorraine offensive. Seeking to enhance his own reputation, Pétain disingenuously, I believe, highlighted Foch’s having missed an opportunity to end the war decisively, not his own inability to make such an ending possible. Some of France’s leading historians of the Great War (Pierre Renouvin, JeanBaptiste Duroselle, Guy Pedroncini) have examined Pétain’s claim and found no evidence of his having urged Foch to delay the armistice. While Pétain may have met privately with Foch and urged him to launch the Lorraine offensive before completing an armistice, he did not do so in writing or in meetings with other people present or with minutes being taken. He also did not convey his reservations to key members of his staff. In the dining room of Pétain’s headquarters, officers openly criticized Foch and Pétain for not unleashing the Lorraine attack and crushing the German army. An American liaison officer, who witnessed the discussions, observed an officer, Colonel Node Langlois, object to the criticisms. The French colonel insisted every effort had been made to organize the attack but roads and railways had proved inadequate. He likened the situation to driving a horse until it had spent its last ounce of strength and dropped in its tracks.
In reality, France’s willingness (and Foch’s willingness) to accept an armistice in November 1918 rested on the weakened condition of French forces, as well as the uncertain support of its allies. By late September the cumulative effect of four years of war and the extraordinary demands of halting the Germans’ spring offensive and launching a counteroffensive had drained the French of much of their combat power and effectiveness. The French army, the “horse,” had been pushed to its limit; not even an opportunity to deliver a death blow to the German army could breathe new life into it.
As French forces struggled to advance, Marshal Foch recognized that General Pétain could not charge forward in Lorraine and would advance only when given additional resources at the expense of the Americans in the Meuse-Argonne and the French on other portions of the front. He also did not expect the British or Americans to assume the main burden of a massive offensive given British doubts about French motives and given Pershing’s difficulties in marshaling and employing his forces. And he saw little chance of Allied forces, composed primarily of Italian troops, advancing into southern Germany. By maintaining pressure on the Germans on a broad front along the Western Front, he expected the Germans eventually to yield. And by demanding and getting bridgeheads across the Rhine River, he ensured the Allies would not have to fight their way across the Rhine. In essence, Foch chose the option that ensured victory for the allies while minimizing the cost in soldiers’ lives. His option, however, allowed the German army to remain together and for reactionaries later to claim it had been stabbed in the back. In the end his option had a profound effect on the remainder of the twentieth century.
|Graphic Depiction of the Armistice Terms|
What does all this mean to us today? First, it suggests the complexities of ending a conflict. Under the most optimum circumstances, the Allies and the French could have continued the war, destroyed the German army, and avoided any possibility of a myth of a “stab in the back.” Yet, the French did not have the confidence in their own forces, or in those of their allies, to risk the cost and failure of a march to Berlin. Instead, French leaders favored placing continued pressure on the Germans and waiting for the German government or military to yield. Though a few political and military leaders expressed doubts privately about the armistice, none argued publicly for rejecting an armistice and seeking a complete victory. U.S. leaders may face similar difficult choices in the future and, even if they prefer a complete victory, may have to accept an armistice, truce, or cease fire.
Second, it reminds us that options during wartime are shaped by the capabilities of a country’s or an alliance’s forces, not just the weaknesses or failures of opponents. The French had performed magnificently against the German spring offensive of 1918, but by October they had reached the limits of their endurance. Continuing the advance against the Germans would have required significant rest and refitting, as well as the clearing of significant obstacles and the building of important roads and railways. France’s options thus were limited by the capabilities of its forces, not by the absence of grand ideas. Such limitations will undoubtedly influence American options at some point in the future.
Third, it suggests the difficulty of drawing a line between political and military domains in the making of peace. Marshal Foch saw controlling the Rhine as an essential part of any armistice or peace. His desire for bridgeheads across the Rhine and guarantees from the Germans, however, raised questions about the political future of the Rhineland and brought sharp clashes among Allied political leaders and between Clemenceau and Foch. Separating political issues from military issues is always complex in a war but it can be even more difficult in the crafting of an armistice or a peace. And adding religious extremism to the process can only complicate the process.
Fourth, it shows us the limits of intelligence. The French had remarkably good intelligence about the internal situation of the Germans, but this intelligence did not paint a complete picture of the enemy and left political and military leaders with significant concerns about the eventual outcome of the war. It was relatively easy to measure the Germans’ military capability but it was difficult if not impossible to predict what the Germans actually would do. Intelligence is never perfect and can never erase ambiguity completely. Political and military leaders in the future will be fortunate to have as much information about opponents as the French had.
Finally, it reminds us that hope is always part of an armistice: hope that the killing will stop; hope that the destruction will end; hope that peace will endure. All of you know that the hopes of 1918 and 1919 were eventually smashed in 1939 when an even more destructive war began. In France’s case, its most important war aim, security, did not come from the armistice of November 11 or the Treaty of Versailles. Instead came disillusionment, distrust, anger, and eventually another war. Over the decades historians have pondered whether a different ending in 1918 may have produced a more enduring peace.
Let us hope that historians will not have as many doubts about the termination of future American conflicts. In conclusion, while the prospect of Germany’s unconditional surrender appealed to French leaders such as Clemenceau and Foch, obtaining one—to use a phrase from World War II—seemed a “bridge too far.” The exhaustion of French soldiers, the specter of greater casualties, and doubts about France’s allies compelled French leaders to seek an end other than unconditional surrender. What they got was a temporary victory, one that seemed permanent at the time but one that later proved illusory at best. They achieved conflict termination but they did not achieve conflict resolution.

domain: history


text:
735: BITCOIN WILL SKYROCKET TO $5.2 MILLION PER BTC AS PRICE SOARS THROUGH 2021, PREDICTS CRYPTO EXPERTS!
A panel of 50 Bitcoin and cryptocurrency experts has predicted the BTC price will continue to climb through 2021, hitting highs of around $80,000, before surging to $250,000 by 2025 and a staggering $5 million per Bitcoin by 2030.
The group, made up of crypto analysts, researchers and entrepreneurs, returned an average bitcoin price prediction of $80,021 in 2021 before ending the year at $71,415.
By the end of 2025 and 2030, panelists expect the bitcoin price to skyrocket to an average of $249,578 and $5.2 million per BTC respectively.
For complete show notes and for the full premium experience with video, visit our YouTube channel at http://CryptoNewsAlerts.net

domain: finance


text:
Declaring that he was staying the course set by his predecessor, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana on Thursday committed to fiscal consolidation, refused further handouts to state-owned enterprises and said extending social relief distress grants would mean spending cuts elsewhere.
With debt at R4-trillion, there was no room to exceed the spending limits set out in his maiden medium-term budget policy statement (MTBPS), the minister warned.
The cabinet collective was welcome to debate spending priorities but the outer limits were cast in stone as the state tried to stabilise the debt-to-GDP ratio at 78.1% of GDP by 2025-26.
“You cannot change the framework, the framework determines the sustainability of the budget,” Godongwana said.
He confirmed that the treasury now expected the economy to grow by 5.1% in 2021, after contracting 6.4% in 2020, gutted by the Covid-19 pandemic that forced lockdowns.
“Over the next three years, the growth of the local economy is expected to average 1.7%, reflecting some structural weaknesses such as inadequate electricity supply,” the finance minister said.
Godongwana stressed that if the initial recovery was faster than expected, there was deep uncertainty that the current upswing would endure, with the doubt in large part a result of Eskom’s failure to keep the lights on. The strength of the recovery was also riding on the roll-out of Covid-19 vaccines, which he hoped would speed up.
Debt-service costs are expected to rise from R269.2-billion in 2021-22 to R365.8-billion in 2024-25, and to average R334.5-billion a year over the medium-term expenditure period.
Twenty-one cents, on average, of every rand collected in tax a year will pay for interest on public debt.
“The consolidated budget deficit is expected to be 7.8% of GDP in 2021-22, gradually lowering to 4.9% in 2024-25,” said Godongwana.
The minister has been on the job for just over 100 days and said those who congratulated him on his appointment wished him a soft landing on the other side of the fiscal cliff the country faced.
He said growth was imperative and relied on speeding up economic reforms, with a focus on bettering productivity, competitiveness, investment and — crucially — employment in a pandemic-stricken climate with a record jobless rate of 34.4%.
Godongwana acknowledged the pain felt by the poor, telling a media briefing just ahead of his speech to parliament that if he had a ready market intervention at his disposal to curb spiralling food inflation, he would implement it “tomorrow”.
But he brushed off suggestions that the budget was not “pro-poor”, saying all budgets have been just that because 60% of non-interest spending went to the social bill.
He did not rule out a further extension of the Covid-19 social relief of distress grant, saying it would cost about R40-billion to extend it beyond the end of March for the rest of the year.
“The social relief of distress grant was extended to the end of March 2022. Between now and March, the government will decide what will happen, not the treasury,” Godongwana said.
The decision to do this, or introduce a basic income grant, did not belong to him but to the cabinet and would wait for the new year, he stressed. Whatever the case, introducing any further welfare grant would mean cutting existing spending allocations to pay for it.
Godongwana confirmed a revenue increase of R120.3-billion — largely thanks to the mining industry — and said tax earnings would not reach R1.5-trillion in this financial year.
But he cautioned that this, too, may not last, because mining prices had started to soften, warning, “therefore we should be careful about our spending commitments”.
Asked where he differed from his predecessor, Tito Mboweni, Godongwana replied: “I think we are on the same page. We are broadly similar from a fiscal framework point of view. The only difference I see is the shoes we wear but in terms of structural reforms, we are on the same page.”
Thursday’s MTBPS showed non-interest spending increased by R59.4-billion for the year, with R20.5-billion going on a higher than expected public sector wage agreement. Consolidated government spending is expected to increase from R2.1-trillion to R2.24-trillion over three years or, put differently, reach R6.4-trillion over the next three years.
Flagging pandemic-driven job losses at more than one million over a year, Godongwana said the 2022 budget would allocate R74-million to public employment programmes over the three-year medium term because “the state must play a role in mitigating the impact of this crisis”, as much as private sector job creation was desperately needed.
He signalled that the state was increasing its funding for free education to R56.8-billion in the current year, and said it would total R158.8-billion over the medium term.
The minister said a special appropriations bill would be passed to pay for the deployment of more police during the July unrest in KwaZulu-Natal and parts of Gauteng. R11-billion has been allocated to the South African Special Risk Insurance Association to help businesses devastated by the violence and rioting.
Apart from giving state arms maker Denel R2.9-billion from the National Revenue Fund after it defaulted on a guaranteed loan, the treasury turned off the taps on troubled state-owned enterprises, including Eskom.
Godongwana said the time had come for “tough love”, and deciding which parastatals were of strategic importance to the state’s objectives.
“Some must fall,” he said, but stressed that this did not include rail, road and ports group Transnet and Eskom, in the case of the latter until something else was able to replace it. He said the problem with the power utility was that the state had, for 13 years, sought to rescue it yet its prime concern should not have been the company but the country’s power sufficiency.
“All our efforts over the past 13 years have been to fix Eskom, instead of addressing security of supply by adding additional capacity to the grid,” Godongwana said.
Asked how the government was going to manage Eskom’s rapidly maturing debt, the minister said it was Eskom’s task to manage it and for now there would be no funding following the R230-billion extended over a decade to service debt.
Regarding Transnet, he said the company would allow third-party access to its freight rail network by the end of next year.
The MTBPS was tabled 10 days after local government elections in which poor service delivery contributed to poll losses for the ruling party that pushed its vote share below the 50% mark for the first time in the democratic era and talks at some length of measures to turn around municipalities.
Godongwana described failing municipalities as one of the bigger risks to the fiscal outlook. The MTBPS frankly assesses that “substantive changes” are needed to make municipalities work and that many lack the capacity to carry out their financial responsibilities.
It says local government allocations will increase by 4.1% over the medium term to boost service delivery to the poor but more money for municipalities will be accompanied by increased national intervention. The allocation for the national government will contract by 1.8% and those for provincial governments will increase by 0.7%. This reconfiguration in the equitable share formula takes into account projected household growth, and increases in water and electricity costs.
Local government grants to improve water and waste management will come with conditionalities tailored to improve management and delivery, and in some cases direct transfers will be converted into indirect allocations, to be spent by national departments on behalf of municipalities.
“Government proposes to apply transparent and consistent criteria to create a more systematic approach to these conversations. This will give national departments more flexibility in using funds where they are most needed, while strengthening governance.”
The minister said ridding the procurement system of corruption and waste was key among the reforms the state had to implement. “For our growth and recovery agenda to succeed we need a state that is capable, well-governed and a society that is free of crime and corruption.”
The Investigative Directorate would get more funding to facilitate corruption prosecution.

domain: news


text:
Gary Kelly, chief executive officer of Southwest Airlines Co., speaks during an event inside the new Southwest Airlines Co. international terminal at the William P. Hobby Airport in Houston, Texas.
Carter Smith | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Southwest Airlines is replacing Gary Kelly as CEO next year with company veteran Robert Jordan, the airline said Wednesday.
Kelly will hold the role of executive chairman until “at least” 2026, the company said.
Kelly, 66, has been CEO since 2004, helming the Dallas-based airline through challenges including the financial crisis and more recently, the Covid-19 pandemic.
This is breaking news. Please check back for updates.

domain: economics


text:
Tonight I had a farewell dinner of 2011 with my family at "Odaiba" in Tokyo, which is recently developed at the water front area recently. Of course I carry the camera and take several shots at this now famous camera spot. Now we have only two days for this dramatic 2011.
Critiques | Translate
siudzi (34141) 2011-12-30 5:43
This is an awesome shot captured with wonderful lights and pastel tones! The view on the bridge and city is absolutely outstanding. Like it very much. A top quality work.
All the best in 2012!
Ricx (13495) 2011-12-30 7:36
Hello Takero from Tokyo.. I wish you all the best in 2012 amd may your farewell dinner to 2011 go well .. This is a beautiful image of this stunning bridge. excellent Blue Hour shot Rich
JFS (32459) 2011-12-30 8:31
A glorious one to say good bye to 2011, fascinating skyline. Great photo!
Have a good day!
TRB (14134) 2011-12-30 11:10
Illuminated with the perfect image.
Tonlamsı and clarity is great with color.
very very nice frame
Congratulations, I wish you good health years
erhan1958 (15769) 2011-12-30 15:22
this is a wounderful shot
near dark blue hours
very clear and sharpnes shot
i wish you and your family happy new years
mafegan (8626) 2011-12-30 17:34
A fitting image to finish the year with - and a little different from your usual style. There is just slight movement of the boats over 1/10seconds. Lovely blue hour light. Enjoy your dinner and happy new year, Marlene
nikkitta (17068) 2011-12-30 18:18
Hola takero from Tokio
Great capture of the Blue Hour, just taken so far away from Argentina
Beautiful photo plenty of contrasts!
Greetings and all the best for the 2012 arriving year
Greetings from Argentina
emka (106816) 2011-12-30 23:01
Hi dear Takero,
the last day of this dramatic year 2011. Superb night panorama of the Tokyo with Rainbow bridge. Marvelous colours of sunset. Oustanding work, you should post some postcards from time to time.
I wish you and your family happy healthy 2012.
Regards from Warsaw
kordinator (22575) 2011-12-31 0:01
Amazing cityscape composition.
Wonderful palette of colors,amazing perspective,excellent sharpness.
Happy New Year to you and to your family.
SWEETFREEDOM (24621) 2011-12-31 0:02
very nice view over the bridge and the city. i like the stillness of the sea.
happy new year
saxo042 (37966) 2011-12-31 1:07
An impressive slyline and beautiful sunset colours. A Happy New Year to you too!
Bluejeans (64251) 2011-12-31 2:18
Ola Takero ,
Linda esta tua foto na blue hour , lindos detalhes da ponte navios e edifícios , muito bonita a passagem de cores no céu , bons reflexos ,parabéns!!
Um abraço Gonçalo
Bom Ano de 2012
ikeharel (78381) 2012-01-01 2:01
Lightened up Tokyo skyline, wonderful sight and well collected, Takero.
Fabulous purple tone, good view on the bridge and skyscrapers.
Have a nice start of 2012.
macjake (72623) 2012-01-01 11:40
Are you feeling ok? :)
i have never seen you post a photo like this one before.
a new and interesting view of Tokyo.
love the illumination along the bridge.
Happy New Year, from dry Vancouver
mkamionka (39965) 2012-01-02 2:40
I see you are not only the festival photography master but whatever you photograph you do that perfectly.
The capture is fantastic with the perfect timing for great sky color and the best possible balance of the artificial and natural illumination of the scene.
Beautiful bridge is an interesting point to focus on.
Happy New Year!
Angshu (56760) 2012-01-04 20:44
Hello dear Takero-san
Normally we do not see a picture like this from you. Excellent one with fine exposure of the lit up bridge against the crimson sky. Like teh gradation of pastel hues in the sky!
Wish you & your dear ones the very best for 2012
bennyfunky (795) 2012-01-05 11:05
Very nice picture, beautiful light and perfect frame.
cavli (1876) 2012-01-06 1:13
Excelent sharpness and brillant details. very good colors indeed. well composed with a nice pov.
adores (46363) 2012-01-10 14:17
A different photo this time:)! The exposure and the view are perfect!A very good night shot, with very good colours!The illuminated bridge really catch my eye here!
- Copyright: Takero KAWABATA (bukitgolfb301) (45147)
- Genre: Places
- Medium: Color
- Date Taken: 2011-12-30
- Categories: Architecture
- Camera: Canon EOS5D Mark‡V, Canon 28-70mm f:2.8 (L)
- Exposure: f/7.1, 1/10 seconds
- Details: Tripod: Yes
- More Photo Info: view
- Photo Version: Original Version
- Date Submitted: 2011-12-30 5:36


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Attorney General William BarrWilliam Pelham BarrTrump lashes out at Dem talk of ‘constitutional crisis’ Dems warn of ‘constitutional crisis’ but wary of impeachment Schiff dismisses Trump’s threat to investigate Biden MORE has reportedly assigned a federal prosecutor in Connecticut to examine the origins of the investigation into Russian election interference and alleged ties between the Trump campaign and Moscow.
The New York Times, citing two people familiar with the matter, reported on Monday night that John H. Durham, U.S. attorney in Connecticut, had been tapped by Barr to look into the probe’s inception. The newspaper reported the inquiry is the third publicly known investigation focused on the FBI’s counterintelligence probe of the Trump campaign.
DOJ inspector general Michael E. Horowitz is reviewing how investigators used wiretap applications and informants, as well as whether political bias motivated decision making.
John W. Huber, the United States attorney in Utah, is also examining aspects of the investigation.
A spokesman for Durham’s office and the Department of Justice (DOJ) declined a request for comment from The Times. DOJ did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Hill.
Durham was nominated by Trump in 2017 and has served as a lawyer within the Justice Department for nearly 40 years, according to The Times. He has a history of performing special investigations.
Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey assigned Durham to conduct a probe of the Central Intelligence Agency in 2008 over the agency destroying videotapes that showed terrorism suspects being tortured.
Bloomberg News reported in April that Barr had formed a team to review the actions of the Justice Department and FBI leading up to the Russia investigation. He told Congress around that time that he was reviewing” the conduct of the investigation and trying to get my arms around all the aspects of the counterintelligence investigation that was conducted during the summer of 2016.”
He also testified before a Senate Appropriations subcommittee that he believed “spying” took place.
“But the question is whether it was adequately predicated and I’m not suggesting it wasn’t adequately predicated, but I need to explore that,” he said.
FBI Director Christopher Wray said last week that he wouldn’t use “spying” to describe lawful investigative activities taken up by the FBI.
Durham’s new assignment comes just weeks after the Justice Department released special counsel Robert MuellerRobert (Bob) Swan MuellerSasse: US should applaud choice of Mueller to lead Russia probe MORE‘s report, which detailed the findings of his 22-month investigation into President TrumpDonald John TrumpStates fight Trump rollback of Obama lightbulb rules Authorities investigating shooting near Trump resort in Florida Trump: ‘China is dreaming’ Biden, other Dems get elected MORE.
Mueller’s investigation did not uncover evidence to conclude that a conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Moscow took place. But the report noted that Mueller could not come to a conclusive determination in regards to whether the president obstructed justice.
UPDATED 9:06 p.m.


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toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
Freecycle are legit UK organisation. They have been around for years and yeah they do own their trademark by the looks of it.
On Wednesday, 21 October 2020, 16:22:32 BST, Chris Jones via groups.io <chrisjones12@...> wrote:
On Wed, Oct 21, 2020 at 03:49 PM, Mark Fletcher wrote:
Groups.io has received letters from a law firm apparently representing the Freecycle trademark holder in the UK, stating that a particular group with freecycle in the name is infringing on their trademark.In the light of the above this 2009 (UK) article may be of passing interest...


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Product Name: Modern Library
Category: Modular Building
This Kit Contains: Moud King 16022
2788 pcs Good Quality Bricks
Size: 25.7 × 25.7 × 31.5 cm
📌Nature of the protagonist
Introducing our proud collection named “Modern Library” you should not miss.
“Modern Library” can refer to a contemporary or updated library building designed and constructed with modern architectural principles and technologies. Modern libraries are designed to be user-friendly, functional, and equipped with state-of-the-art facilities such as digital resources, multimedia rooms, computer labs, and study spaces. These libraries also often focus on offering a diverse collection of print and digital materials, embracing technology to enhance the library experience for users.

domain: library


text:
Hello, My name is SEONGJONG KIM. I'm 26 years old and I live in Kuala Lumpur, in Malaysia. I am looking for a language exchange partner to study English. I'd be happy to help you to learn Korean.
If you are interested me please send whatsapp or kakao! Don't hesitate.
My name is Liyana. I'm 23 years old and I live in Seremban, in Malaysia.
I am looking for a language exchange partner to study Korean.
I'd be happy to help you to learn English and Malay in exchange.
I'm Jacqueline. I have recently started learning Korean language. I would love to make some Korean friends for casual chatting. I can also help you in English. I will be looking forward. :)
Hi there! My name is Wan Anwar. I'm 22 years old and from Malaysia. Enjoying musics (a general music's lover especially KPOP, watching movies/k-drama and learning something new. Plus, i'm a huge cat's lover!
I love to meet and make many friends from all over the world. We can talk almost everything! I'm really friendly so don't worry to say hi! :)
Hello! My name is Saufi and I live in Malaysia. I am currently learning Japanese and Korean language so I am looking for a language partner to help me to brush up my fluency in Japanese and Korean. In return, I will help you to learn English or Bahasa Melayu. I look forward to hear from you soon. Let's be friends! :)
Hello, my name is Chooi Chee Kean. I'm a student and study the course is information technology. I like Japanese animation and culture. I hope we can be a friend with another country. And I'm also learning English grammar and speaking native English. I hope we can learn together :). If you have any problem with Mandarin pronounce, vocab or meaning, I can try my best to teach you.
I'm a Malaysian who has been studying korean for about 7 years. But since i'm only self-learning, my progress isn't that good since i didn't use much korean in daily life. Therefore, i'd like to talk to and make friend with people who can speak korean so that i can improve. In return, i'll help you with english too.
저는 말레이시아인이고요 한국어 공부 한지 거의 7년 쯤 되는데, 독학으로 공부하니까 진행 잘못할것같애요. 그래서 한국말 할수있는 사람들이랑 친구 되고 대화를 많이 할수있으면 좋겠어요. 그리고 영어 잘 할수있도록, 많이 도와줄게요~
I am a native english and malay speaker from Malaysia. Looking forward to purely find friends especially from Russia to practice my russian. Kindly send Me a message and in return I’ll help you with english. Thanks
Hi i am chenloong from Penang, Malaysia. I currently 24 years old. The languages i need to learn and practice are Chinese Cantonese, Penang Hokkien, and English. I hope to learn Japanese language too but i am a totally beginner in this language. So anyone want to practice one of this languages can find me. If anyone wish to learn Chinese feel free to find me too, i am willing to help you :)
Hi! I’m looking for the partner who can practice conversation with me.
And also I can help you to blush up your Japanese skill:)
I just have the passion to learn many languages as much as I could. It will be easier to connect with new people through different languages around the world. I am looking forward to have a lot of new friends and it doesn't matter where you come from, your age or what your religion is. It's all about learning new languages and meeting new friends. Okay enough with the description, feel free to contact me! I'll be waiting :)
Hola a todos! Me llamo Travis. Soy de Malaysia. La musica es mi profesion. Me encanta conocer gente nueva y aprender sobre diferentes culturas.
Nuevo en aprender espanol. Espero hacer nuevos amigos para practicar y hablar juntos.
Hi, all you lovely people.
I'm Nadira from Malaysia. I'm 28 years old. I learn German and Korean by myself so it is a pleasure to have someone to chat with but because I'm a beginner please be patient with me :)
We can also practice Malay or English or if you're just looking for a friend, I'm good with that.
Have a nice day ;)

domain: hobby


text:
Enhanced cleaning and safety standards in place including Clean and Safe and Safe Travels facility accreditation. Visit hotel website for more details.
This hotel is located in Lisbon, in the Parque das Nações area, 7 Km from city centre and just 1.5 Km from Lisbon international Airport. This is a booming business area, close to the river, the Lisbon International Fairgrounds (FIL), Vasco da Gama shopping centre and the Casino. This area is wonderfully served with public transportation to the whole city and the country.
With a stay at Olissippo Oriente in Lisbon (Parque das Nacoes), you''ll be minutes from Lisbon Casino and Lisbon Oceanarium. This 4-star hotel is within close proximity of Knowledge Pavilion and Vasco da Gama Shopping Centre.
Av. dom joao ii no.32 lisbon 1990-083 portugal, 32


Will shark bite fittings work on galvanized pipe? The SharkBite push to connect fittings are not designed to press on galvanized pipe. SharkBite makes a threaded to press fit transition adapter to fit your PEX to galvanized. If you want to rethread your galvanized pipe, you will need to square cut it.
Can SharkBite be used on metal pipe? SharkBite fittings are engineered to provide an extremely fast, secure and reliable method of joining Copper, PEX, Polybutylene and Carbon Steel pipework. All fittings are demountable and can be reused when required.
Is there a quick connect for galvanized pipe? Galvanized Compression Couplings
Quickly and easily repair pipe runs. Install by simply sliding nut over pipe, slip on gasket, then insert into body and tighten nuts – See example. Hot dipped galvanized for corrosion protection. Maximum 125 PSI at temperatures up to 120°F.
What pipe can be used with SharkBite fittings? SharkBite brass push-to-connect fittings are compatible with PEX, Copper, CPVC, PE-RT and HDPE pipe. SharkBite fittings come with a PEX stiffener pre-loaded into the fitting for PEX, PE-RT and HDPE. The PEX stiffener does not need to be removed for Copper or CPVC applications.
Will shark bite fittings work on galvanized pipe? – Related Questions
Do compression fittings work on galvanized pipe?
A Dresser coupling — made by the Dresser Company — is a compression coupling you can use to repair galvanized steel and other metal pipes. They can connect pipes with or without threads and are especially useful when threads have rusted and become unusable.
Do professional plumbers use SharkBite?
When and when not to use SharkBite fittings
Most professional plumbers believe that SharkBite fittings and other kinds of push-fit fittings should only be used as an emergency, temporary fix, and not for any enclosed or permanent plumbing system. However, there is a growing selection of DIYers who would disagree.
Do shark bites leak?
SharkBite fittings are designed to create a leak-proof seal. When a SharkBite fitting does leak, the first thing you’ll want to do is see if the pipe is connected to the fitting correctly. By pressing in the cufflink, the steel teeth on the inside will release, and you’ll be able to pull your pipe out.
How do you connect galvanized pipe without thread?
Insert one end of the non-threaded galvanized pipe into the coupling. Align the coupling end with the drawn line on the pipe. Insert the second pipe into the coupling and center the coupling between the two drawn lines.
Can you connect PVC to galvanized pipe?
We place the clamp on the galvanized pipe, insert the new PVC pipe and tighten the clamps on both ends. To ensure that the seal remains watertight, our plumbers put silicon sealant on the galvanized metal before installing the connector. Since the PVC pipe will remain smooth, there’s no need for a sealant on that end.
Can you use a PVC compression fitting on galvanized pipe?
You can also use PVC compression couplings on galvanized, but it’s probably not a good idea, but I’ve seen it working.
How long do SharkBite fittings last on copper?
How long do SharkBite fittings last? SharkBite fittings last a long time. In fact, SharkBite warrants the fittings for 25 years when used with SharkBite tubing.
Why is PEX plumbing bad?
PEX plumbing system has been used for more years and therefore its failures has been observed and known. Its major failures is linked to piping and fitting. Piping fails when the pipes are exposed to chlorine that is within the water, exposure to direct sunlight before its installation.
Do SharkBite fittings fail?
Properly installed SharkBite fittings provide permanent connections, backed by a 25-year warranty against any manufacturer’s defect as long as the item has been installed according to installation instructions and compliant with local code.
Can you use galvanized pipe with brass fittings?
Galvanized pipe and brass pipe are both used for water piping systems. Sometimes you have to join the two together while doing a repair. However, if you have a few common plumbing tools at the ready, you can quickly and easily join the galvanized pipe to brass.
How bad is galvanized plumbing?
Why Are Galvanized Pipes Dangerous? As galvanized pipes age, the zinc coating erodes and pipes corrode. Lead, a dangerous toxin, may build when the pipes corrode. Galvanized plumbing could pose a dangerous health hazard if not replaced with updated, safer pipes.
Why do plumbers hate shark bites?
SharkBites work better than plastic quick-connects on copper pipes because the lead-free brass body is rigid like the pipe and has a higher pressure tolerance. We don’t recommend using a SharkBite fitting outside because sunlight can dry out the rubber O-ring and cause it to crack or split.
How long do SharkBite fittings last?
How long can a SharkBite fitting last? SharkBite fittings and PEX pipe carry a 25-year warranty against any manufacturer’s defect as long as the item has been installed in accordance with the installation instructions and complies with local code.
Are shark bites as good as solder?
So far they seem to be just as reliable, although given that they’ve only been on the market for a few years they don’t have the same history as soldered connections. Here in the UK almost all new-build houses use push-fit connectors for concealed work as it’s much quicker and easier.
Why won’t my SharkBite fitting go on?
The 2 reasons shark bites fail to work is generally prep and misalignment. The inside o-ring that makes the seal has been damaged by not removing burrs before sliding it on. In that case you need a new shark bite. If the pipe wasn’t cleaned the o-ring can’t seal to the pipe properly.
What is the most common way to join galvanized pipe and fittings?
Joining galvanized iron fittings to galvanized steel pipe requires pipe dope or PTFE tape and two pipe wrenches. Start by liberally coating the threads of the pipe with pipe dope or wrapping the threads with PTFE tape. Make sure the pipe joint compound or tape go into the threads, to ensure a water tight connection.
What can I substitute for galvanized pipe?
Galvanized pipes are typically replaced with PEX, PVC-CPVC or copper pipes. Typically the new pipes will be installed first, the water supply transferred to the new system and then the old pipes will be drained and abandoned in place.
How do you replace a section of galvanized pipe?
To replace the damaged section of threaded galvanized water pipe, cut the damaged area using a reciprocal saw. Two cuts should be made with one being several inches from the threaded coupling and the other at one of the threads. This should be done at both ends of the section.
How do I stop my PVC compression fitting from leaking?
If an old compression fitting starts leaking, you can adjust it. Loosen off the compression nut by 1 turn, lubricate the nut and ring, then retighten it jhust 1/4 turn beyond the original snug position.
Can compression fittings be buried underground?
Use metal body compression fittings above ground level, PVC may be used below ground but must be installed below the frost level. Compression fittings may leak if used on heavily corroded, rusty, or pitted pipe.
How many times can you reuse a SharkBite fitting?
While some companies allow reusing the fitting up to 4-6 times, we advise against this practice whenever possible or to limit it to 2-3 times. SharkBite fittings are reusable. Keep in mind that each time you use one on plastic pipe, the pipe may get scratched.


text:
This is great. I was looking for a substitution for cape gooseberries for a chutney and stumbled across this thread. Our vendors have had such a hard time getting us a frozen gooseberry lately and with the volume we do in the restaurant, it isnt cost effective to use fresh ones. It would be cutting into the bosses kids college funds. Anyhow, I am going to try making a chutney with kiwi and tomatillos and see what I come up with. Good stuff... will follow up and let you know how it turns out.
My gosh, I looked at the original poster (without noticing the date) and said to my self, wow, that's the name I have not seen around here for a while.
I actually picked up a small jar of qiwi jam the other day it was quite good, actually surprisingle very good.


NAHARLAGUN, Aug 10: The three-day Pakke Page Hornbill Festival, one of the most important festivals to promote conservation of state bird Hornbill, has been proposed to begin at Seijosa from January 18 next.
Pakke-Kesang MLA Biyuram Wage told a meeting here on Thursday and stressed the need for younger generations to come forward in preservation of rich flora and fauna of this Himalayan state.
Hornbills help in pollination of generation of flora and fauna in the environment; he said to underscore the importance of the festival.
Pointing out that the GoAP has included it as a calendar event, PPHF celebration committee chairman Takam Nabam said that the event would be celebrated with great enthusiasm and sought support of pne and all.
PPHFCC members Pakke Wild life Sanctuary DFO Tana Tapi, Pakke Kessang Intellectual Forum chairman Tayum Tok, among others, also spoke. (DIPRO)
India’s lone hornbill sanctuary
AONS adds: It may be mentioned here that Pakke Wildlife Sanctuary in East Kameng district is famous for its Hornbill Sanctuary the only one in India which draws tourists, bird lovers, researchers and ornithologists from far and wide to have a glimpse of the majestic bird.
India’s incredible hornbills nestled in the sanctuary, set up in 2011 by visionary scientists, village heads and forest officers looking to protect the bird, while local Nyishi tribe has maintained a prolific legacy of protecting the unique bird. Pakke boasts of four species, namely great hornbills, wreathed, oriental pied and rufous-necked, listed 10 Schedule l of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, while the last variety is a globally threatened bird species.
The Hornbill Nest Protectors’ Team is an exemplary model of community conservation. The 11-member-strong team locates and monitors hornbill nests on the fringes of Pakke Tiger Reserve. Comprising only local Nyishi villages, many of them erstwhile hunters, the team has since overseen the successful fledging of hornbill chicks for three years with 90% nesting success.
Each member monitors specific trees and ensures that no harm comes to the birds. Such measures are helping protect hornbills and their habitat outside the park, where tree felling and other human activities are prevalent. The success of this programme has been supplemented by a pre-existing community ban on hunting of hornbills and replacement of fiberglass hornbill casques in place of original ones used in their traditional headgear.


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Taiwan Feng Hsin's rebar, scrap prices remain stable
Feng Hsin Steel, Taiwan’s largest rebar producer and headquartered in Taichung, central Taiwan, has decided to hold its rebar list prices and procurement prices...
Feng Hsin Steel, Taiwan's largest rebar producer and headquartered in Taichung, central Taiwan, has decided to hold its rebar list prices and procurement prices for locally-sourced scrap for the second week over May 30-June 2, a company official confirmed on Tuesday.
For business discussions till this Thursday, the mini-mill continues to offer its 13mm dia rebar at TWD 23,300/tonne ($804/t) EXW, and its buying price for local HMS 1&2 80:20 scrap also stays unchanged on week at TWD 13,000/t this week, according to the official.
This week is a short working week in Taiwan due to the Dragon Boat Festival on June 3, Mysteel Global noted.
As of May 30, the price of US-sourced HMS 1&2 80:20 scrap was reported at $435/t CFR Taiwan, taking a pause after slumping by a total $145/t over the prior two months, and the price of Japan-origin H2 scrap had reversed up $10/t on week to $478/t CFR Taiwan, ending the persistent fall since April, according to a market source in Taiwan.
Sentiment in Taiwan's steel market has improved to some extent as scrap prices in the local market are expected to hit bottom. "We finally received new (steel) orders from end-users last week after a six-week hiatus," the Feng Hsin official said.
However, prices of scrap delivered to Taiwan are unlikely to see any significant growth in the coming term as scrap consumption among local mini-mills is expected to decline from the start of June until end-September due to Taiwan's annual power supply rationalization scheme for summer.
Under the scheme, heavy industrial electricity consumers such as EAF mills are requested to reduce their power consumption to ensure stable electricity supplies for households, Mysteel Global was told.
Written by Nancy Zheng, email@example.com
This article has been published under an article exchange agreement between Mysteel Global and SteelMint.