Huawei has been granted a 90-day US general license, allowing the Chinese telecom to maintain its existing networks and provide users with software updates even as it prepares for exile on a Commerce Department blacklist.

The grace period allows Huawei’s American customers to continue with business as usual, according to the Commerce Department, which announced on Monday that the Chinese firm could continue using US technology for which it already had a license – but that new equipment would have to apply for new licenses, which are unlikely to be granted.

The announcement came shortly after Google confirmed it would sever its relationship with Huawei in order to comply with President Donald Trump’s executive order, which added Huawei and 70 of its affiliates to a trade blacklist last week, citing nonspecific concerns about “national security threats.” Google confirmed that Huawei devices running the Android operating system would remain fully functional during the 90-day grace period.

While Android-powered Huawei phones would have continued to function at a basic level even if the company made it to the blacklist, users would be unable to download operating system updates, and new Huawei phones would only run the open-source version of Android.

The Commerce Department first hinted that it might postpone Huawei’s inclusion on the blacklist on Friday, suggesting the stay of execution would allow companies time to switch their equipment over to non-Huawei alternatives. But China has signaled it is willing to up the ante in the Huawei trade-war-within-a-trade-war, and some analysts are concerned Beijing might curtail US access to the rare earth minerals Huawei’s competitors need to manufacture their devices. 

The Trump administration has warned its allies that Beijing is using backdoors in Huawei tech to spy, imploring and even threatening countries including the UK and Germany to steer clear of using Chinese equipment to construct their 5G telecom networks, or face exclusion from the sharing of sensitive intelligence. Huawei, however, has maintained it does not spy for the Chinese government, accusing the US of using “national security” as an excuse to unfairly shut down competition.

Huawei became the number-two mobile manufacturer last year, edging out Apple. The company has reportedly been developing its own mobile operating system since 2012 as a contingency plan should they find themselves cut off from the US market, wary of meeting the same end as fellow Chinese telecom ZTE, which was forced to close its doors for months after a similar blacklisting effectively sealed their fate. 

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#Romanovs100 AR Family Photo Album has been shortlisted for one of the world’s most prestigious design awards – D&AD 2019. The book was published following RT’s history project dedicated to Russia’s last reigning royal family.

To celebrate the achievement, the book is now available for free download HERE. Unlock the album’s full potential by downloading a free iOS app that not only goes with the print edition, but also works with the digital version. Download the app HERE.

#Romanovs100 reviewed the last decades of the Russian Empire as seen through the lenses of the Romanov family’s cameras using accounts on four social networks. Each platform showcased its own narrative, format and content. With the album, #Romanovs100 combines the visual language of photography with AR tech to create an interactive history book featuring the humane story and unique photographic legacy of Russia’s last tsar, Nicholas II. This extended reality breaks the ‘fourth wall’ of storytelling providing for side-narratives, archive video, 3D visualisations and more.

#Romanovs100 currently boasts 17 accolades including Clio Entertainment, The Drum Social Buzz and Shorty awards. The project’s teaser videos and posters were recently honored by the ADC’s Merit awards in the Motion/Film Craft and Photography/Social Media nominations respectively.

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Google has reportedly suspended its licenses and product-sharing agreements with Chinese communications giant Huawei, as Washington accuses the company of spying for Beijing.

The Silicon Valley tech giant has cut its business deals with Huawei that involve the transfer of hardware and software, Reuters and the Verge report. Following the move, Huawei will likely lose access to Android operating system updates, and its forthcoming smartphones will be shut out of some Google apps, including the Google Play Store and Gmail apps. The Chinese firm, however, will still have access to the open source version of the Android operating system.

“We are complying with the order and reviewing the implications,” a Google spokesperson confirmed in a brief statement. “For users of our services, Google Play and the security protections from Google Play Protect will continue to function on existing Huawei devices.”

Washington repeatedly accused Huawei of installing so-called ‘backdoors’ into its products on behalf of the Chinese government. The heads of six US intelligence agencies warned American citizens against using Huawei products last year, and the Chinese company’s phones were banned from US military bases shortly afterwards.

Huawei denies all accusations of spying. Nevertheless, the US Commerce Department added Huawei to its blacklist on Thursday, after President Donald Trump ruled that the Chinese firm could “undermine US national security or foreign policy interests,” particularly in developing America’s 5G network. The ban forbids Huawei from buying parts or technology from US suppliers.

Coupled with the latest development from Google, the ban will likely see Huawei remain in place or tumble in the global smartphone market. The Chinese company overtook Apple at the beginning of the month to become the second biggest manufacturer worldwide, after South Korea’s Samsung.

Although Google has often had an antagonistic relationship with the Trump administration, Sunday’s report comes less than two months after CEO Sundar Pichai met with President Trump at the White House. After the meeting, Trump announced that Pichai’s firm was “totally committed to the U.S. Military, not the Chinese Military.”

The company has indeed shown a willingness to work for the benefit of the US military. Google was contracted in 2017 to create an AI program to analyze video footage from drones using machine learning, a project codenamed ‘Project Maven’ by the Pentagon. Google’s competitors, Microsoft and Amazon, have both lent their cloud computing power to the Pentagon to help the military develop its AI projects.

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Lasers are commonly seen as a ‘weapon of the future’ – and that future is already here as they are making it into the military. Laser systems have unique properties, opening new ways of waging warfare, RT’s military analyst says.

Laser weaponry “will largely define” the combat potential of the Russian armed forces “throughout the whole of the 21st century,” President Vladimir Putin said. The country has already adopted a combat laser system – Peresvet – and appears to be seeking other weaponry of this type.

Lasers indeed have great potential to be used in combat, especially against uncongenial targets such as swarms of tiny drones, Russian military analyst Mikhail Khodarenok believes. Apart from that, they have many advantages compared to ballistic and missile weaponry.

“Laser weaponry is quite tempting due to the possibility of a surprise and almost immediate – at the speed of light – attack on an adversary, relative cheapness of a single ‘shot’, high precision and lack of the necessity to stockpile an arsenal of ‘munitions’ during peacetime,” Khodarenok told RT.

Apart from dealing direct damage to an adversary’s personnel and hardware, lasers can be used in a support role, facilitating usage of conventional weapon systems.

The analyst added that optical devices themselves actually amplify and focus a laser beam, making it very effective even at long ranges.

At the same time, laser weaponry has a number of limitations that are still in place despite decades of experiments with such arms around the world. Above all, the main issue is the need for a powerful and reliable energy source, which makes such systems either very bulky or suitable only for naval vessels.

“To make a 150kw laser ‘shot’ – not that powerful, actually, by modern standards – one needs energy of 450kw,” Khodarenok said. “Ideally, a laser system needs a capacitor able to charge as fast as the system itself uses it. It would allow it to use lasers in combat continuously.”

Laser systems are also quite sensitive to transparency of the atmosphere, as bad weather or mere smoke greatly affects their performance (at least at this stage). Laser beams – like any light – tend to dissipate with distance, and for now, “combat range might be limited to several dozen kilometers,” Khodarenok added.

What exactly does Russia have in stock?

Russia adopted a new “battle laser complex,” dubbed Peresvet, last year, yet little is known about what exactly the system is capable of. The complex is mounted on a wheeled vehicle, featuring a cannon-like laser emitter and a large container, presumably holding its power source.

It is not known if the device can “blind” optics or actually melt holes in something, and it’s not even known what exactly – land or air units – it’s supposed to target. In the Soviet era, the country fielded a handful of laser weaponry prototypes, primarily blinding devices, designed to target the enemy’s optics. The last Soviet weapon of this type, the 1K17 Szhatie, was produced shortly before the collapse of the country and never entered into mass production.

What about other countries?

The US has been experimenting with lasers for decades as well, trying to fit them into various combat roles. While repeated attempts to create an aircraft-based system were not very fruitful, the US successfully fielded and tested several prototypes of ground vehicles and naval systems. One of the newest is the MEHEL laser system, mounted on a Stryker APC, which has successfully shot down a number of light drones during testing.

Another major power – China – is not sitting idle either. Beijing puts “experimental systems on ships, coastal platforms, self-propelled chassis. One of the Chinese lasers has reportedly hit an unmanned aerial vehicle some 300 meters away,” Khodarenok said.

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French police have arrested a 27yo ‘assassin’ armed with two hidden blades, a sapper shovel and a pair of pruning shears, who said he was just a cosplay fan taking a stroll during the Yellow Vests protest in Paris.

With his black hood and military backpack, Thomas G. immediately aroused suspicion from a Champs-Élysées police brigade which was carrying out preventive checks in the Saint-Lazare area ahead of the Yellow Vests protest on Saturday. When the officers approached the odd-looking individual, he tried to flee but was quickly restrained.

Attached to his arms with elastic tape and hidden under his jacket, the officers discovered two 30cm blades. The devices were designed to quickly slide out in a manner worthy of the Assassin’s Creed video game series. Police also found two balaclavas, sunglasses, pruning shears, and a sapper shovel, as well as a DSPAP police patch, local media reported.

During questioning, the Hauts-de-Seine native claimed that he was just a “cosplay” enthusiast and a big fan of law enforcement, telling officers that he is keen to become a security assistant (ADS) one day.

“This guy had come to do damage to my colleagues,” Rocco Contento, the head of the SGP police force unit, said. “He would have been ready to hurt or even kill one.”

The suspect was placed in custody before the public prosecutor takes over the case, local media reports. Carrying blade weapons in public without a legitimate reason in France is punishable by up to one year in prison and a €15,000 fine.

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President Donald Trump has warned Tehran that it would be “the official end” of the Islamic Republic if it threatens the US, just as Washington builds up its military presence near Iran under the pretext of national security.

It’s unclear what triggered the US leader this time around, as Iranian officials have consistently said in recent days that they want to avoid a military confrontation with the US. Earlier on Sunday, the commander of the elite Revolutionary Guards, Major General Hossein Salami, insisted that Iran only wants peace, but isn’t afraid to fight America.

Earlier, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also said there will be no war in the Persian Gulf. However, he added that Tehran won’t be involved in talks on a new nuclear deal with the US.

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The Trump administration has recently been increasing pressure on Iran with sanctions and a military buildup near its territorial waters. The US and its allies began enhanced maritime security patrols in the international waters of the Persian Gulf this week after Washington beefed up its Fifth fleet.

A USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group was deployed to the Persian Gulf and B-52 bombers were sent on patrol in the area in a move to send a message to Tehran.

Tensions in the region escalated after the US started building up its military presence, citing “a number of troubling and escalatory indications and warnings” coming from the Iranian side. It has not yet been revealed what led to the escalation, with various media reports suggesting versions from misunderstanding to Israeli influence.

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The Israeli broadcaster of the Eurovision said Iceland could be punished for holding up Palestinian flags during live coverage of the competition’s voting results.

Members of the Hatari group held up Palestinian flags with ‘Palestine’ written on them as the cameras were fixed on them during the announcement of their public votes at the final on Saturday night. The protest generated boos and cheers from the crowd at the Tel Aviv event, and support online.

Security quickly confiscated the flags from the band who were sitting in the green room at the time.

“The Icelanders will apparently be punished by the European Broadcasting Union, which is really not tolerant of those who violate its rules,” said Eldad Koblenz, CEO of Israel’s public broadcaster Khan.

Eurovision is meant to be non-political, so contestants could be disqualified or fined for breaking this rule. The EBU said that the move “directly contradicts the contest rules.”

“The banners were quickly removed and the consequences of this action will be discussed by the Reference Group [the event’s executive board] after the contest,” the EBU added.

Hatari were outspoken about their support for Palestinians before the international event, and said they were “conflicted” about taking part. They visited Hebron in the West Bank during the contest and told a Eurovision fan blog that the “apartheid” and “segregation was so clear” there.

While the group received praise for its protest, the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) said that because Iceland had attended the contest instead of boycotting it, it was rejecting “this fig-leafing.”

Madonna also featured a Palestinian flag in her performance at the event. Two of her dancers wore a Palestinian and Israeli flag on their backs and held hands in a surprise addition to the routine that had not been cleared by the EBU or Kan.

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A rocket was fired into Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone where the embassies of the US and other countries are located, the Iraqi military said, adding that casualties were avoided in the incident.

“A Katyusha rocket fell in the middle of the Green Zone without causing any losses, details to come later,” a statement by the military read.

“Initial reports indicate that the rocket was fired from an open field” in the southern part of the Iraqi capital, a police source told AFP.

There was a loud bang, the witnesses said, adding that sirens briefly sounded in the city after the attack.

The Katyusha is multiple rocket launcher, which was developed in the Soviet Union during the World War II. The cheap and effective systems that could be mounted on ordinary trucks were further developed after the war. They were supplied to many countries, including Iraq.

The incident occurred amid the rising tensions between the US and Iraqi neighbor, Iran. Washington has recently deployed an aircraft carrier group and sent B-52 bombers on patrol there in a move to intimidate Tehran.

Despite both sides assuring that there’ll be no war, major US energy company Exxon Mobil evacuated around 60 of its foreign staff from the oilfield in southern Iraq as a precautionary measure earlier this week. Baghdad slammed the move as “politically motivated,” insisting that the employees were out of danger.

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The US and its allies began enhanced maritime security patrols in the international waters of the Persian Gulf , amid Washington’s tensions with Iran.

The Countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) were “specifically increasing communication and coordination with each other in support of regional naval cooperation and maritime security operations in the Arabian Gulf,” Bahrain-based Fifth Fleet said in a statement on Facebook.

The navies and coast guards of the Arab states “are working in tight coordination with each other and the United States Navy,” it added.

The GCC, which has its headquarters in Riyadh, unites Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.

Tensions have been high in the Persian Gulf recently as the US has deployed an aircraft carrier group and sent B-52 bombers on patrol there in a move to intimidate Iran.

On Sunday, the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group, whose deployment to the region prompted concerns of military action, carried out exercises in the Gulf to underline its “lethality and agility to respond to [a] threat.”

Despite the heavy military build-up, the US keeps assuring that it is not a sign of war preparation. Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister, Adel al-Jubeir, has said that the Kingdom didn’t want a military conflict, but was eager to defend itself from Iran.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards commander, on his part, insisted that Tehran wanted only peace, but wasn’t afraid to fight the Americans and their allies.

Earlier, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that there will be no war in the Gulf, but added that Tehran also won’t get involved in negotiating a new nuclear deal with Washington.

The Trump administration has been pressuring Iran in order to sign a border agreement that would include not only its nuclear program but ballistic missile developments as well.

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Indian police raided a home in New Delhi to rescue a wealthy businessman who was taken hostage by a group of women over alleged sexual abuse. Rape is a major problem in India, as well as the growing number of false accusations.

The managing director of a Mumbai-based marine engineering company was kidnapped during a business trip to the capital, police were informed on Friday. It was soon established via CCTV footage that the 64-year-old left his five-star hotel accompanied by two women and departed in a Hyundai Verna vehicle.

The abductors repeatedly called company officials, demanding ransom of 3 million rupees (US$42,600), using WhatsApp to conceal their identities, a police source told the Times of India.

Meanwhile, having identified the vehicle’s license plates, the officers traced the address of the owner. The man was home and confessed to being part of the plot, saying that he was just seeking to make some easy cash. He apparently told police the place where the businessman was being held.

During a raid on the kidnappers’ hideout in Laxmi Nagar district in the east of the capital on Saturday, four women and two men, including the car’s owner, were arrested. Their identities haven’t been disclosed due to the ongoing investigation.

The senior manager was discovered locked in one of the rooms. He explained that he was invited to Laxmi Nagar by two women, one of whom he knew beforehand. But once they arrived, two more females appeared and accused him of raping one of their daughters, demanding ransom for his freedom.

The businessman, whose identity has not been revealed, denies all allegations and it’s not yet clear if police will be looking into the sexual assault accusations of the kidnappers.

Sexual assault, including gang rape, has become an epidemic in India in recent years, with harsh new laws introduced to make the environment safer for women. But it seems to have backfired with a wave of false accusations often made to settle scores after failed relationships or for personal gain.

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The situation became so dire that a #MenToo movement was sparked in the country in order to protect slandered males. Those behind it stage rallies, demanding the identities of men who face sexual assault accusations remain undisclosed until legal proceedings against them are concluded. The activists also want women who make rape accusations, only to withdraw them when asked to appear before the magistrate, to be investigated.

#MenToo is a response to the #MeToo international movement for woman’s rights that picked up in India last year after actress Tanushree Dutta accused Bollywood veteran Nana Patekar of sexual harassment. This was followed by claims of abuse against a number of politicians and celebrities, leading to several resignations and arrests.

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