This Is Bank of Americas Biggest Challenge

In the third-to-last paragraph of Brian Moynihan's 2014 shareholder letter , the Bank of America CEO rolled out the bank's current PR campaign, which emphasizes the importance of "delivering responsible growth." He doubled down on the message in his 2015 letter , which was released three months ago and dedicated to flushing out the contours of this point.

Piramal Enterprises to raise up to Rs 300 crore via NCDs

The Mumbai-based entity, however, has not specified the purpose of raising the fund

UPDATE 4-Vodafone to merge New Zealand unit with Sky Network in $2.4 bln deal

* Deal subject to regulatory clearance; Sky shares jump

(Recasts, add Vodafone shares, ownership and competition
details)

Amazon launches UK supermarket service

Amazon is launching a full online supermarket service in the UK, initially just in central and east London.

Officials: 9 shot in market area; 2 attackers captured

At least one person was critically injured and eight others wounded in a shooting Wednesday night near one of Tel Aviv's most popular outdoor markets, Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said in a statement.

Prices of major drugs for treating cancer, diabetes and blood pressure cut by 25%

Products of major pharmaceutical firms, including Abbott Healthcare, Cipla and Lupin will be affected by the new price cap

Why Muhammad Ali Will Always Be The Greatest

I join millions across the globe who celebrate the life and legacy of “The Greatest” – Muhammad Ali.

That description was so apt. He demonstrated unmatched skills in the boxing ring and global impact outside the arena – the most recognized figure on our planet way before the advent of cable television and the Internet. Fans, friends and foes were awed by larger-than-life showmanship backed up by unorthodox pugilistic prowess. He moved and inspired so many of us – especially Black America during the 1960s and 1970s – while rankling the white establishment that vilified him for his outspokenness on issues of race, religion and politics and stands of principle and conviction.

Born Cassius Marcellus Clay in Louisville, Kentucky, he rose to fame through his  miraculous athletic gifts. He received the light heavyweight gold medal in the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, which he tossed into the Ohio River after returning home and being denied service in a restaurant because of his race. Four years later, at age 22, the boastful boxing phenom beat the formidable slugger Sonny Liston to be crowned heavyweight champion of the world. It was during that same year he changed his name, marking his conversion from Christianity to Islam and joining the Nation of Islam at the urging of his friend and mentor, Malcolm X.

Ali's most ferocious battle, however,  would be outside the ring. Refusing to serve in the military during the Vietnam War due to his religious beliefs, he was convicted for draft evasion. After his suspension from boxing and being stripped of his titles in 1967, Ali would sacrifice three years of his prime and millions of dollars for his antiwar stance. It would take a Supreme Court decision to overturn the verdict and enable him to return to the ring.

In 1971, he battled Smokin' Joe Frazier for the heavyweight championship in the “Fight of the Century,” losing in the bruising 15-round match. But Ali would never stay down for the count and would thrill fans in some of the most eventful moments in sports history. He regained his title in 1974 using the “rope-a-dope” to vanquish George Foreman in the “Rumble in The Jungle” in Zaire and then emerged victorious in 1975 during his final battle with Frazier – the “Thrilla in Manila.” Ali, who won 56 times in his 21-year professional career, was the first fighter to capture the heavyweight title three times.

To young black males who came of age during the post-Civil Rights Era, Muhammad Ali was more than a boxer, he was our hero. He represented racial  pride and black manhood in his unflinching display of excellence and intelligence, declaration of our splendor and defiance of an America that demoted African Americans to second-class status.

Ali was the most visible image of a proud black man openly declaring his greatness without hesitation. In the process, he validated our existence and promoted our aspirations. He challenged us to claim our place in the world and rise to our rightful standing as champions. And yes, we could achieve with swagger.

Not only did Muhammad Ali infuse my generation with a love for boxing as he transformed that sweet science, he taught us to stand our ground and persevere against the odds.

In later years as he dealt with the debilitating effects of Parkinson's Disease, he stayed in the spotlight engaging in humanitarian work and offering new lessons of philanthropy, dignity and humor.

Muhammad Ali's enduring spirit lives on, challenging us to fully embrace our greatness.

"America's Greatest Threat Is Its Crazed 'Leadership' And Its Brainwashed Population"

Submitted by Dmitry Orlov, The Saker, Victor Katsap and Evgenia Gurevich via PaulCraigRoberts.org,

Insouciant Americans do not even know what they should be worried about...

A Russian Warning

June 02, 2016 “Information Clearing House” – “ClubOrlov” – We, the undersigned, are Russians living and working in the USA. We have been watching with increasing anxiety as the current US and NATO policies have set us on an extremely dangerous collision course with the Russian Federation, as well as with China. Many respected, patriotic Americans, such as Paul Craig Roberts, Stephen Cohen, Philip Giraldi, Ray McGovern and many others have been issuing warnings of a looming Third World War. But their voices have been all but lost among the din of a mass media that is full of deceptive and inaccurate stories that characterize the Russian economy as being in shambles and the Russian military as weak-all based on no evidence. But we--knowing both Russian history and the current state of Russian society and the Russian military–cannot swallow these lies. We now feel that it is our duty, as Russians living in the US, to warn the American people that they are being lied to, and to tell them the truth. And the truth is simply this:

If there is going to be a war with Russia, then the United States will most certainly be destroyed, and most of us will end up dead.

Let us take a step back and put what is happening in a historical context. Russia has suffered a great deal at the hands of foreign invaders, losing 22 million people in World War II. Most of the dead were civilians, because the country was invaded, and the Russians have vowed to never let such a disaster happen again. Each time Russia had been invaded, she emerged victorious. In 1812 Nepoleon invaded Russia; in 1814 Russian cavalry rode into Paris. On June 22, 1941, Hitler's Luftwaffe bombed Kiev; On May 8, 1945, Soviet troops rolled into Berlin.

But times have changed since then. If Hitler were to attack Russia today, he would be dead 20 to 30 minutes later, his bunker reduced to glowing rubble by a strike from a Kalibr supersonic cruise missile launched from a small Russian navy ship somewhere in the Baltic Sea. The operational abilities of the new Russian military have been most persuasively demonstrated during the recent action against ISIS, Al Nusra and other foreign-funded terrorist groups operating in Syria. A long time ago Russia had to respond to provocations by fighting land battles on her own territory, then launching a counter-invasion; but this is no longer necessary. Russia's new weapons make retaliation instant, undetectable, unstoppable and perfectly lethal.

Thus, if tomorrow a war were to break out between the US and Russia, it is guaranteed that the US would be obliterated. At a minimum, there would no longer be an electric grid, no internet, no oil and gas pipelines, no interstate highway system, no air transportation or GPS-based navigation. Financial centers would lie in ruins. Government at every level would cease to function. US armed forces, stationed all around the globe, would no longer be resupplied. At a maximum, the entire landmass of the US would be covered by a layer of radioactive ash. We tell you this not to be alarmist, but because, based on everything we know, we are ourselves alarmed. If attacked, Russia will not back down; she will retaliate, and she will utterly annihilate the United States.

The US leadership has done everything it could to push the situation to the brink of disaster. First, its anti-Russian policies have convinced the Russian leadership that making concessions or negotiating with the West is futile. It has become apparent that the West will always support any individual, movement or government that is anti-Russian, be it tax-cheating Russian oligarchs, convicted Ukrainian war criminals, Saudi-supported Wahhabi terrorists in Chechnya or cathedral-desecrating punks in Moscow. Now that NATO, in violation of its previous promises, has expanded right up to the Russian border, with US forces deployed in the Baltic states, within artillery range of St. Petersburg, Russia's second-largest city, the Russians have nowhere left to retreat. They will not attack; nor will they back down or surrender. The Russian leadership enjoys over 80% of popular support; the remaining 20% seems to feel that it is being too soft in opposing Western encroachment. But Russia will retaliate, and a provocation or a simple mistake could trigger a sequence of events that will end with millions of Americans dead and the US in ruins.

Unlike many Americans, who see war as an exciting, victorious foreign adventure, the Russians hate and fear war. But they are also ready for it, and they have been preparing for war for several years now. Their preparations have been most effective. Unlike the US, which squanders untold billions on dubious overpriced arms programs such as the F-35 joint task fighter, the Russians are extremely stingy with their defense rubles, getting as much as 10 times the bang for the buck compared to the bloated US defense industry. While it is true that the Russian economy has suffered from low energy prices, it is far from being in shambles, and a return to growth is expected as early as next year. Senator John McCain once called Russia “A gas station masquerading as a country.” Well, he lied. Yes, Russia is the world's largest oil producer and second-largest oil exporter, but it is also world's largest exporter of grain and nuclear power technology. It is as advanced and sophisticated a society as the United States. Russia's armed forces, both conventional and nuclear, are now ready to fight, and they are more than a match for the US and NATO, especially if a war erupts anywhere near the Russian border.

But such a fight would be suicidal for all sides. We strongly believe that a conventional war in Europe runs a strong chance of turning nuclear very rapidly, and that any US/NATO nuclear strike on Russian forces or territory will automatically trigger a retaliatory Russian nuclear strike on the continental US. Contrary to irresponsible statements made by some American propagandists, American antiballistic missile systems are incapable of shielding the American people from a Russian nuclear strike. Russia has the means to strike at targets in the USA with long-range nuclear as well as conventional weapons.

The sole reason why the USA and Russia have found themselves on a collision course, instead of defusing tensions and cooperating on a wide range of international problems, is the stubborn refusal by the US leadership to accept Russia as an equal partner: Washington is dead set on being the “world leader” and the “indispensable nation,” even as its influence steadily dwindles in the wake of a string of foreign policy and military disasters such as Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Syria, Yemen and the Ukraine. Continued American global leadership is something that neither Russia, nor China, nor most of the other countries are willing to accept. This gradual but apparent loss of power and influence has caused the US leadership to become hysterical; and it is but a small step from hysterical to suicidal. America's political leaders need to be placed under suicide watch.

First and foremost, we are appealing to the commanders of the US Armed Forces to follow the example of Admiral William Fallon, who, when asked about a war with Iran, reportedly replied “not on my watch.” We know that you are not suicidal, and that you do not wish to die for the sake of out-of-touch imperial hubris. If possible, please tell your staff, colleagues and, especially, your civilian superiors that a war with Russia will not happen on your watch. At the very least, take that pledge yourselves, and, should the day ever come when the suicidal order is issued, refuse to execute it on the grounds that it is criminal. Remember that according to the Nuremberg Tribunal “To initiate a war of aggression… is not only an international crime; it is the supreme international crime differing only from other war crimes in that it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole.” Since Nuremberg, “I was just following orders” is no longer a valid defense; please don't be war criminals.

We also appeal to the American people to take peaceful but forceful action to oppose any politician or party that engages in irresponsible, provocative Russia-baiting, and that condones and supports a policy of needless confrontation with a nuclear superpower that is capable of destroying America in about an hour. Speak up, break through the barrier of mass media propaganda, and make your fellow Americans aware of the immense danger of a confrontation between Russia and the US.

There is no objective reason why US and Russia should consider each other adversaries. The current confrontation is entirely the result of the extremist views of the neoconservative cult, whose members were allowed to infiltrate the US Federal government under President Bill Clinton, and who consider any country that refuses to obey their dictates as an enemy to be crushed. Thanks to their tireless efforts, over a million innocent people have already died in the former Yugoslavia, in Afghanistan, in Iraq, Libya, Syria, Pakistan, the Ukraine, Yemen, Somalia and in many other countries-all because of their maniacal insistence that the USA must be a world empire, not a just a regular, normal country, and that every national leader must either bow down before them, or be overthrown. In Russia, this irresistible force has finally encountered an immovable object. They must be forced to back down before they destroy us all.

We are absolutely and categorically certain that Russia will never attack the US, nor any EU member state, that Russia is not at all interested in recreating the USSR, and that there is no “Russian threat” or “Russian aggression.” Much of Russia's recent economic success has a lot to do with the shedding of former Soviet dependencies, allowing her to pursue a “Russia first” policy. But we are just as certain that if Russia is attacked, or even threatened with attack, she will not back down, and that the Russian leadership will not “blink.” With great sadness and a heavy heart they will do their sworn duty and unleash a nuclear barrage from which the United States will never recover. Even if the entire Russian leadership is killed in a first strike, the so-called “Dead Hand” (the “Perimetr” system) will automatically launch enough nukes to wipe the USA off the political map. We feel that it is our duty to do all we can to prevent such a catastrophe.

U.K. farmers tempted by Brexit

Swallowing more resources from Brussels than any sector, agriculture has a lot to lose if the UK votes to leave the EU. But farmers in the southwest of England are still tempted by the idea of independence, as CNNMoney's Nina dos Santos found out.

Let There Be Emoji…the New Bible Emoji App

A new app for iOS has just been released that translates Bible scripture into emojis.

Bible Emoji (Scripture 4 Millennials) targets the younger generation, and allows them to translate biblical passages or religious expressions into emoji images.

Guardian Australia interviewed the app's developer, who prefers to remain anonymous (although the iTunes seller is named as Zach Swetz). The developer did not tell the outlet his or her religious affiliation, but said, “I [definitely] [flexed biceps emoji] agree with Jesus' message of course.”

The app links 80 emojis with 200 corresponding words and took about six months, according to the developer.

It is described in the App Store as, “The first ever Bible translation w/ emojis, [and] a great and fun way to share the gospel.” It translates 66 books of the King James Version of the Bible into emojis, including stories of Abraham, Noah, and Jesus.

The app is currently only available for iOS. “The translator welcomed suggestions on how to improve the translation. Though  wanted to make the Bible available for Android, the book formats used by each platform presented problems. Like Amazon, for instance, doesn't support emoji,” reports The Guardian.

Digitized religion is on the rise. Recently, Bishop T.D Jakes released the T.D. Jakes Ministries Bible App. It's the official app of Bishop T.D. Jakes and T.D. Jakes Ministries and provides users access to messages, podcasts, ministry products, as well as a way to study the in-app Bible and streaming Sunday worship service.

The use of technology for religious purposes particularly resonates with African Americans. Black Enterprise'ssenior editor, small business, Carolyn Brown, cited a study from AT&T which revealed African Americans are more likely than the general population to view technology as playing a positive role during church service.

The study found that 57% of African Americans use mobile devices to connect to faith and inspiration sites and groups. The report also found that younger people are more likely to use social media to connect with faith-based organizations. Southerners were more likely than people in any other region to connect to faith with online worship.

Bible Emoji is available on iTunes for $2.99 and is supported on iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, and Mac.

 

 

Man secretly filmed woman, child in Harris Park apartment bathroom: police

A man has been charged after he allegedly secretly filmed a number of people, including a young child, using the bathroom at an apartment in Sydney's west, police say.

The market is strange, and here's what it means for your next move

The S&P 500 hasn't seen a 52-week high in over a year, and this could change the way you view the market.

UPDATE 1-Sales down 1 pct at Britain's Tesco, outperforms main supermarket rivals

(Adds table, quote)
LONDON, June 1 (Reuters) - Sales at Tesco fell 1
percent year on yeare in the 12 weeks to May 22, according to
industry data published on Wednesday, showing signs of
stabilisation for Britain's biggest supermarket chain in a tough
market for the "Big Four" players.
Tesco outperformed its main rivals, with sales at
Sainsbury's down 1.2 percent while Wal-Mart's
Asda suffered a 5.1 percent fall and Morrisons dropped
2.1 percent, Kantar Worldpanel said.
All four c