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Chinese Military "Drove Away" US Warship Near Paracel Islands In South China Sea
Tensions spiked in the South China Sea near the heavily disputed Paracel Islands on Monday after China's military said it "drove away" a US warship, according to Al Jazeera.
The Paracels – also called the Xisha Islands by Beijing – are claimed by numerous countries, including China, Vietnam, and the self-ruled island of Taiwan. The US sailed the USS Benfold, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, through the waters of the Paracels without government approval and undermined regional stability, the People's Liberation Army's Southern Theater Command said.
"We urge the United States to immediately stop such provocative actions," the Southern Theater Command said in a statement. However, the US Navy Navy 7th Fleet said the Benfold had "asserted navigational rights and freedoms in the vicinity of the Paracel Islands, consistent with international law" and rejected any claims by the Chinese that its warship had breached territorial waters. The 7th Fleet said "innocent passage" is the right of all vessels under international marine law as reflected in the Convention on the Law of the Sea. What this means is that permission is not required to transit.
"The operation reflects our commitment to upholding freedom of navigation and lawful uses of the sea as a principle," the US Navy said. "The United States will continue to fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows, as USS Benfold did here. Nothing PRC (the People's Republic of China) says otherwise will deter us."
Here's the latest US Navy Update Map via Stratfor that shows the approximate current locations of U.S. Carrier Strike Groups and Amphibious Ready Groups worldwide (as of July 8). cap#2
Beijing has firmly claimed islands within the South China Sea are there's by heavily militarizing them. The region is expected to be rich in marine life and has significant hydrocarbon reserves. Meanwhile, the Pacific has been cluttered with military ships, submarines, and aircraft from countries friend and foe of the US, in a series of naval drills.
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/chinese-military-drove-away-us-warship-near-parcel-islands-south-china-sea
SAM838 USAF G5 on descent for Savannah Int'l Airport SC
>>71339 pb
BOXER42 USAF C-40C inbound from Nurnberg, Germany depart earlier today
This AC arrived at Sigonella AB, Sicily on 0705
On 0708 it went to Nice, France and then on 0710 a short trip ne to Nurnberg where it departed from today
Live Updates: Elon Musk Testifies Over Solar City Acquisition
Today is that day that Elon Musk is testifying in Wilmington, DE about Tesla's bailout buyout of Solar City. Musk's goal through testifying will be to try and show a judge that he does not control the company, which would absolve him accusations that he was unilaterally pulling the strings when Tesla bought the solar company, usurping the board and normal corporate governance.
Hanging in the balance is the question of whether or not Tesla was damaged as a result of the merger and, if so, if Elon Musk was the responsible party. As the Wall Street Journal noted today: "If Vice Chancellor Joseph Slights III, the presiding judge, finds Mr. Musk didn’t control the deal, the case is likely over for the plaintiffs, Mr. Hamermesh said. Case law in Delaware generally defers to the business judgment of independent and properly motivated directors. On the other hand, if the evidence points to control, the court would assess whether the deal process and price were fair and, if not, whether Mr. Musk should be ordered to pay money back to Tesla, Mr. Hamermesh said."
Musk is the first witness in the trial, which comes after shareholders have accused him of carelessly using shareholder funds to bailout his cousin, who was CEO of Solar City at the time. Tesla has argued that the company's shareholders "overwhelmingly voted" to approve the bailout, according to FT. Ann Lipton, law professor at Tulane University in New Orleans told FT: “The case has the potential to provide more guidance not only to courts, but also to deal planners, as to the factors courts are likely to take into account when determining whether someone is a controller.”
Delaware Court of Chancery vice-chancellor Joseph Slights wrote in 2018 that “it is reasonably conceivable that Musk, as a controlling stockholder, controlled the Tesla board in connection with the acquisition” and that “there were practically no steps taken to separate Musk from the board’s consideration of the acquisition”.
1100 EST: As of the "first break of the morning", Delaware reporter Isabel Hughes writes that "Musk has spent a lot of time arguing the pandemic is to blame for poor solar performance" and that Musk has told the plaintiff's attorney that his questions are "tricky and deceptive". "Musk has thus far taken the opportunity to elaborate on every yes-or-no question. Also has told [plaintiff's attorney] Baron several times he’s just wrong," Hughes writes.
1052 EST: Jef Feeley, legal reporter, writes that "Musk is getting more combative under questioning from Baron," per BBG.
1039 EST: Peter Jeffrey, legal editor, writes that Musk has now interrupted once or twice to push back, and Baron has warned him it’s going to go really slow if he keeps that up. “Some of your questions are tricky and deceptive,” Musk tells the lawyer, with whom he tangled in his 2019 deposition, to explain why he feels the need to clarify, per BBG.
1030 EST: "Plaintiffs' attorney Randy Baron started his questioning of Musk by playing clips of Musk saying in prior depositions that the lawsuit was "wasting everyone's time," and that the next few quarters would vindicate the SolarCity deal. The next few quarters, we now know, did not." WaPo's Will Oremus writes on Twitter.
1019 EST: Plaintiff lawyer Randy Baron gives Musk “fair warning” that “we have a long way to go,” probably all day today and into tomorrow, BBG writes.
0900 EST: Delaware reporter Isabel Hughes shows up to court and says one spectator in the gallery showed up to the trial because “how often do you get to see Elon lie?”
https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/live-updates-elon-musk-testifies-over-solar-city-acquisition
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AF2 USAF C-32A departed JBA for Detroit Metro Airport
Still no 98-0001 C-32A usage for kneepads and AC is still MIA along wif 92-9000 747
SAM840 USAF G5 departed JBA sw-prolly headed to MacDill AFB
AC was SAM881 yesterday >>71263 pb
SAM822 USAF G5 ne from Savannah Int'l, GA depart
Arrived as GLF62 to Savannah Int'l, GA from Huntsville, AL on 0708
Nestle Eyes Lab-Grown Meat Market to Tap Future Growth
Nestle SA is planning to enter the cultured-meat market in a move that could see the world’s largest food company help deliver the nascent technology faster to the mass market. The Swiss giant has been working on alternative meat products that would blend cultivated meat with plant-based ingredients, according to people familiar with the deliberations, who asked not to be named because the information hasn’t been made public. The meat is being developed with Israeli cell-based startup Future Meat Technologies Ltd., the people said.
Nestle’s Chief Executive Officer Mark Schneider is pressing ahead with an alternative protein strategy as environmental and health concerns drive more consumers to opt out of conventional animal products. The early move, after a relatively late decision to enter the craze for plant-based products, would help Nestle gain a foothold in an industry that may reach 35% of the $1.8 trillion meat market by 2040, according to analysts at Kearney, a consultancy. A spokesperson for Nestle wasn’t immediately able to comment, while a representative for Future Meat Technologies didn’t respond to an email seeking comment.
The timing of a potential market entry would also be determined by regulatory approvals, the people said. Future Meat Technologies is set to bring its cell-based technology, while Nestle has experience developing plant-based products under its Garden Gourmet brand. The hybrid product, which blends meat cells developed in bioreactors with plant ingredients, could be a gateway for Nestle to tap the cultured meat market faster. Cell-based meat startups incorporate plant-based ingredients at various stages of product development. It enables them to improve the texture of products and to reduce costs, a top challenge for startups vying to displace conventional meat.
Future Meat Technologies has already been successful in reducing costs. The company has managed to produce chicken at $4 per 100 grams (3.5 ounces) and plans to halve this by the end of 2022, Chief Executive Officer Rom Kshuk told Bloomberg in an interview last month. The company wants to begin sales in the U.S. by the end of next year, pending regulatory approvals. Several food and meat giants have backed cultured meat startups in recent years in recognition of the technology’s potential. Tyson Foods Inc. and Cargill Inc. have invested the space, while BRF SA and Mitsubishi Corp. are working with Aleph Farms Ltd. The latest financing round by Aleph Farms has also drew backing from Thai Union Group and South Korea’s CJ CheilJedang Corp. The Swiss company would probably be the biggest one to tap cultured meat, offering a boost to the industry.
https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/nestle-eyes-lab-grown-meat-market-to-tap-future-growth-1.1627907
thought same reading it earlier
Too easy and 'neat'.
Pin it all on dis guy and on to the next thing.
GORE70 US Navy E-6B Mercury heading down to the Gulf from Tinker AFB, OKC