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<keyword id="22155129" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Archana-Kamath" source="keywords">Archana Kamath</keyword> gave a brief resistance but that was not enough. India lost 1-3 to technically superior Germany in Wednesday's women's <keyword id="20430495" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="table-tennis" source="keywords">table tennis</keyword> team event <keyword id="20288129" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="quarterfinals" source="keywords">quarterfinals</keyword> of the <keyword id="20006192" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Paris-Olympics" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Paris Olympics" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Paris Olympics">Paris Olympics</keyword>. Indian table tennis campaign ended with the loss. The Indian duo of <keyword id="20614713" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sreeja-Akula" source="keywords">Sreeja Akula</keyword> and Archana lost the opening doubles match 5-11 11-8 10-12 6-11 to the German pair of Yuan Wan and Xiona Shan. Sreeja and Archana were holding the fort till the third game, but they lost it in deuce. Thereafter, they lost the match. In the first singles, star Indian <keyword id="20634482" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Manika-Batra" source="keywords">Manika Batra</keyword> was not at her best, as she won the first game but lost the next three (11-8 5-11 7-11 5-11) against <keyword id="22703030" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Annett-Kaufmann" source="keywords">Annett Kaufmann</keyword> as Germany took 2-0 lead in the tie. It was at this point that Archana gave India a glimmer of hope, as she held off the Germany charge briefly with a 19-17 1-11 11-5 11-9 win over Xiona Shan in the second singles. But in the third singles, Kaufmann blanked Sreeja 11-6 11-7 11-7 to seal the tie for Germany and book a semifinal berth. On Monday, the Indian women's team comprising Manika, Sreeja and Archana had prevailed over higher-ranked Romania 3-2 in a thrilling tie to enter the quarterfinals. On Tuesday, the Indian men's team led by veteran Achanta Sharath Kamal had suffered a 0-3 loss to mighty China in the pre-quarterfinals. Both Manika and Sreeja had scripted table tennis history by becoming the first Indian players to reach the round of 16 in the individual event at the Olympics. The two, however, could not progress beyond that stage, losing to higher-ranked opponents. The Paris Games marked the first time that India competed in the team event at the Olympics. The men's and women's team events in table tennis were introduced at the 2008 Beijing Games.

India loses to Germany 1-3 in women''s TT team event, Indian campaign ends in Paris Olympics

Star player <keyword id="20634482" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="manika-batra" source="keywords">Manika Batra</keyword> led from the front as <keyword id="19895063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="India" source="keywords">India</keyword> prevailed over higher-ranked <keyword id="19986770" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Romania" source="keywords">Romania</keyword> 3-2 in a thrilling tie and made a memorable entry into the <keyword id="20288129" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="quarterfinals" source="keywords">quarterfinals</keyword> of the <keyword id="22675317" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="womens-table-tennis" source="keywords">women's table tennis</keyword> team competition at the <keyword id="19916613" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Paris" source="keywords">Paris</keyword> <keyword id="19933819" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Olympics" source="keywords">Olympics</keyword> here on Monday. Leading 2-0, India saw Romania fight back to draw level at 2-2 but in the decider, Manika delivered for her side. <keyword id="20614713" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sreeja-Akula" source="keywords">Sreeja Akula</keyword> and <keyword id="22155129" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Archana-Kamath" source="keywords">Archana Kamath</keyword> started the proceedings with a 11-9 12-10 11-7 win over Adina Diaconu and Elizabeta Samara in a doubles match. Manika made short work of higher-ranked Bernadette Szocs in a 11-5 11-7 11-7 victory as India took a comfortable 2-0 lead in the tie against their fourth-seeded opponents. India are seeded 11th in the competition. In the second singles match however, things did not go in India's favour as Sreeja went down 2-3 (11-8 4-11 11-7 6-11 8-11) to European champion Samara after winning the first game. Sreeja's defeat paved the way for a face-off between Archana and Bernadette and the latter won the first game 11-5, but the Indian bagged the second 11-8 to restore parity. However, Bernadette won the next two games 11-7 11-9 to clinch the match and send the tie to the decider. Manika then blanked Adina 3-0 (11-5 11-9 11-9) to seal the tie in India's favour. India will be up against either the USA or Germany in the quarter-finals. Japan, Poland, France and Thailand are also on the same side of the draw. Last week, both Manika and Sreeja scripted table tennis history by becoming the first Indian players to reach the round of 16 in the individual event at the Olympics. The two, however, could not progress beyond that stage, losing to higher-ranked opponents.

Paris Olympics: Manika-led India beat Romania 3-2 to enter quarterfinals of women's table tennis team event

(Eds: Fixes typos, recasts intro) Lausanne, Apr 7 () The world championships of tennis tennis, originally scheduled for March 2020, will now he held from September 27 to October 4, the world governing body of the sport ITTF announced on Tuesday.The most significant annual table tennis event, the 2020 World Team Table Tennis Championships were among the many International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) events to be postponed this year in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. Originally due to take place between March 22-29 in Busan, an emergency ITTF Executive Committee meeting had proposed provisional dates of June 21-28 while maintaining that further back-up plans may be required if the pandemic persisted."On 29 March 2020, the ITTF Executive Committee held a follow-up meeting to confirm that new dates would be announced for the Hana Bank 2020 World Team Table Tennis Championships, in light of the fact that all currently planned ITTF events and activities are suspended until 30 June 2020," said the ITTF in a statement."Now with new provisional dates proposed for 27 September – 4 October 2020, the ITTF and KTTA (Korean TT body) continue to monitor the situation, with the priority being placed on the health and safety of players, coaches, fans and officials.The global death toll from the pandemic has crossed 70,000. AT

ITTF announces new dates for World Championships

Lausanne, Apr 7 () The Word Championships, originally scheduled for March 2020, will now he held from September 27 to October 4, the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) announced on Tuesday.The most significant annual table tennis event, the 2020 World Team Table Tennis Championships were among the many ITTF events to be postponed this year in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. Originally due to take place between March 22-29 in Busan, an emergency ITTF Executive Committee meeting had proposed provisional dates of June 21-28 while maintaining that further back-up plans may be required if the pandemic persisted."On 29 March 2020, the ITTF Executive Committee held a follow-up meeting to confirm that new dates would be announced for the Hana Bank 2020 World Team Table Tennis Championships, in light of the fact that all currently planned ITTF events and activities are suspended until 30 June 2020," said the ITTF in a statement."Now with new provisional dates proposed for 27 September – 4 October 2020, the ITTF and KTTA (Korean TT body) continue to monitor the situation, with the priority being placed on the health and safety of players, coaches, fans and officials.The global death toll from the pandemic has crossed 70,000. BSBS

ITTF announces new dates for Word Championships

By Bharat Sharma New Delhi, May 18 () The Table Tennis Federation of India on Monday sought written consent from its top 16 players to join a training camp after the government allowed sports complexes to open but wary paddlers said they would prefer to wait a while. Most players, including India's leading players Sharath Kamal and G Sathiyan, said they were not comfortable travelling anytime soon amid the COVID-19 pandemic. TT camps are held at NIS Patiala, Sonepat and Kolkata. "We were asked to join camp at the end of the month but I feel it is too early for that. Cases continue to rise and travel restrictions are in place. Training can wait until situation improves significantly," world number 31 Sharath, who is based in Chennai, told . "Anyway, all ITTF (international body) activities are suspended till end of June. There is no event planned in the near future. It would be nice for the whole team to be together again but not anytime soon." The players have been confined to their homes ever since the lockdown was enforced almost two months ago. The government on Sunday extended the lockdown till May 31 with more relaxations. Like Sharath, world number 32 Sathiyan is based in Chennai and said he would rather train in his hometown given the current situation. "It is not safe to travel in the given situation. I would prefer to train in Chennai at Raman TTHPC along with my coach (S Raman) and a few sparring partners post the lockdown. "Also, I have a great setup here with the necessary fitness training regime under Ramji Srinivasan (former Indian cricket team trainer). Hope I will get the necessary permission from the authorities," said Sathiyan. TTFI secretary general M P Singh wrote to the players on Monday morning, seeking their availability for the training camp following government's announcement. "We have written to the players (8 men and 8 women) to check their availability for the training camp as early as next week. If they are ready to resume training, we can organise something by next week or end of the month," Singh told . However, with travel restrictions in place, it remains to be seen how willing players assemble at one place. While Sharath and Sathiyan are in Chennai, star women paddler Manika Batra is in Pune. "Since, the government announced the opening of stadiums and complexes, it must have thought about how it would reopen sporting activity in the country. It can only answer on how it plans to assemble the players at one place. Either of the three centres -- NIS Patiala, Sonepat and Kolkata -- will be fine with us," said Singh. The federation has also written to coaches Soumyadeep Roy and Arup Basak on their availability for the camp. **Arjuna Award nomination** Singh also informed that TTFI will be nominating Sanil Shetty, Madhurika Patkar and Sutirtha Mukherjee for the Arjuna Award. "They are our best bets for the award this year. They will soon be sending their application. Since there is still time for application deadline (June 3), more players can also send their applications," Singh added. BS PMPM

TTFI asks players to join training camp following lockdown relaxation, they say it is "too early"

Welcome to Finance Insider, Business Insider's summary of the top stories of the past 24 hours. Sign up here to <a href="http://e.businessinsider.com/join/ci/finance-insider-social-first&amp;hash=36afac95fa844948a9f363295d512fca">get the best of Business Insider delivered direct to your inbox.</a>IT'S OFFICIAL: Goldman Sachs names David Solomon as its next CEODavid Solomon <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/goldman-sachs-david-solomon-ceo-2018-7">is now officially in line to succeed Lloyd Blankfein as CEO of Goldman Sachs.</a> The Wall Street firm made the announcement Tuesday, saying Solomon would become CEO and join the board on October 1.Solomon's ascension to CEO was widely expected after he was named in March as the sole president of Goldman, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/lloyd-blankfeins-heir-apparent-harvey-schwartz-just-unexpectedly-retired-2018-3">following the departure of his copresident Harvey Schwartz</a>. With the formal announcement, Solomon can begin making changes to his leadership team.Blankfein will remain chairman through the end of the year and then take the title of senior chairman after his retirement, the firm said.The toughest exam in finance is adding a section on cryptocurrency next yearChalk this up as perhaps another sign that cryptocurrencies have grabbed Wall Street's attention.The Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Program<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/the-toughest-exam-in-finance-will-add-a-section-on-crypto-next-year-2018-7"> has announced that cryptocurrencies and blockchain will now form part of the curriculum.</a>According to Bloomberg, crypto topics will now be included under a new reading called "Fintech in Investment Management", alongside subjects such as artificial intelligence and machine learning.A small band of human traders at electronic trading giant Citadel Securities are crushing itOne of the largest electronic traders in the world has seen its market share increase in one of the last vestiges of human trading on Wall Street.Citadel Securities, which acquired its trading business on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange in 2016 from high-frequency trader KCG,<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/citadel-securities-is-growing-its-dmm-business-2018-7"> is responsible for helping the trading of more than 1,400 securities, including Walmart and Coca-Cola, as a so-called designated market maker.</a>DMMs, also known as specialists, are human traders responsible for maintaining fair and orderly markets for NYSE-listed stocks particularly during complex events like IPOs and the opening of the trading day.A Chicago trading firm is teaming up with a group of crypto exchanges to stamp out manipulationTrading Technologies, the Chicago-based firm, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/trading-technologies-partners-with-coinfloor-2018-7">announced Tuesday a partnership with a group of cryptocurrency exchanges to stamp out manipulation on their platforms.</a>TT has not been a stranger to the crypto market, having previously partnered with Coinbase to allow professional clients to trade bitcoin futures and the underlying asset side-by-side on TT's trading platform. Now, Coinfloor, a UK crypto exchange operator, will be using the firm's so-called Score technology to monitor its markets for manipulation and other unusual activity. TT will allow traders on its platform to access the Coinfloor EX marketplace, the firm said.In markets news<ul><li><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/stock-market-smart-money-indicator-bad-signal-morgan-stanley-says-2018-7">MORGAN STANLEY: An overlooked indicator that tracks the 'smart money' has been plunging for months, and it's a bad sign for the stock market</a></li><li><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-china-trade-war-top-contrarian-trades-bank-of-america-merrill-lynch-2018-7">Bank of America breaks down its top strategies for investors to profit from the market's biggest fear</a></li></ul> <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/nobel-prize-winner-in-economics-shares-his-thoughts-on-smart-contracts-2018-5">The man that won the Nobel Prize in economics for contract theory shares his thoughts on smart contracts</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

What you need to know on Wall Street today

Hass Holmberg/TT News Agency/ReutersCashless stores sparked a major backlash among legislators worried about inequality.<ul class="summary-list"><li>Cashless stores have been a polarizing retail invention.</li><li>They have been lauded as innovative and convenient in addition to being derided as sowing inequality.</li><li>Fears over the exclusionary nature of cashless stores prompted a spate of legislative <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-cities-banning-cashless-businesses-winners-losers-cashless-economy-2020-2">bans</a> against them.</li><li>Alex Bau, the Federal Reserve's director of data and policy analysis of the cash product office, said that nowadays, retailers seem to be more keen to "meet the customer where they're at" when it comes to payment options.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul>It's fair to say that, on the surface, cashless retail stores have undergone a bit of a rise and fall.Cashless stores may have once seemed a futuristic innovation, but over the past few years they've ended up ushering in a backlash against inequality rather than a retail revolution. But that doesn't mean that cashless technology was a flash in the pan. Retailers are still interested in cashless options in terms of cutting costs and meeting consumer needs, even if a fully cashless environment remains elusive and unrealistic. <h2>The cashless backlash</h2>Around four years ago, a cashless retail experience seemed in sight. Significant doubts about a cashless future <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/america-too-paranoid-go-cashless-2016-10">lingered</a>, but by 2017 FDIC had found that cash represented only 30% of all payments, according to the <a href="https://hbr.org/2019/07/is-the-u-s-on-its-way-to-becoming-a-cashless-society">Harvard Business Review</a>. Some big names ended up coming to the forefront to take up the cashless mantle.Fabiana Buontempo/Business InsiderInside an Amazon Go.Sweetgreen, a salad chain that was early to adopt a cashless model, also rolled back its goals. In 2016, cofounder Jonathan Neman told <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sweetgreen-goes-cashless-2016-12">Business Insider</a> that by going cashless the company was working to "simplify things."Then the first ever <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-go-grocery-store-future-photos-video-2016-12">Amazon Go</a> store opened its doors in January 2018, offering shoppers a fully cash-free, checkout-free experience. Amazon reportedly envisioned opening these <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/report-amazon-wants-3000-amazon-go-stores-by-2021-2018-9">cashierless</a> stores by the thousands. Of course, Amazon's disruption of payment methods was a two-way street. In September 2019, the online retail giant teamed up with Western Union to allow more cash-dependent customers to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-western-union-partnership-us-lets-customers-pay-cash-2019-9">shop online</a> using cash.But the dark side of the cashless trend would shortly erupt into full view.In 2018, <a href="https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/articles/2019/11/08/rise-of-cashless-retailers-problematic-for-some-consumers">Pew</a> surveyed 1,164 individuals who had made a payment in the past month, to weigh the differences between different groups' cash use. It found that 65% of people who said they primarily used cash were unbanked, 25% made less than $25,000 a year, and 20% were minorities."Non-acceptance of cash could potentially marginalize those that have limited access to the financial system or mobile technological devices," researchers from the Congressional Research Service, a public policy think tank run through the Library of Congres, wrote in a 2019 <a href="https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R45716.pdf">report</a>.Thus, retailers opting to go cashless were effectively denying service to consumers without access to banks, as well as those from poorer households and those from minority backgrounds. Legislators in major cities across the United States began taking aim at the cashless stores. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/23/nyregion/nyc-cashless-ban.html">New York City</a>, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/philadelphia-is-first-u-s-city-to-ban-cashless-stores-11551967201?mod=hp_lead_pos5">Philadelphia</a>, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-pay-cash-amazon-go-san-francisco-2019-9">San Francisco</a>, and the state of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/new-jersey-state-legislators-pass-bill-outlawing-cashless-retailers-2019-2">New Jersey</a> have all nixed cash-only stores, regulating that retailers must accept cash from paying customers. NPR <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/02/06/803003343/some-businesses-are-going-cashless-but-cities-are-pushing-back">reported</a> that Washington, DC, was weighing a similar bill.The results of the legislative tide turning against cashless stores were rather definitive. Amazon Go dropped its exclusively cashless <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-go-proves-cashless-dream-dead-2019-5">model</a>, and it currently accepts cash at all locations. Sweetgreen <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-sweetgreen-backtrack-on-cashless-2019-4">reportedly</a> began accepting cash at all locations at the end of 2019. <h2>'Meet the customer where they're at'</h2>Alex Bau, the director of data and policy analysis of the cash product office of the Federal Reserve System, spoke to Business Insider about the cashless trend. "We do continue to see interest in retailers or merchants in managing or reducing the cost associated with cash handling," Bau said. "We haven't necessarily heard of an increase in the number of cashless businesses, but the cost factor is always in their mind."The Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco published a <a href="https://www.frbsf.org/cash/publications/fed-notes/2019/august/cash-me-if-you-can-impacts-of-cashless-businesses-on-retailers-consumers-cash-use/">note</a> in August 2019 called "Cash Me If You Can: Impacts of Cashless Businesses on Retailers, Consumers, and Cash Use." It went over a number of pros and cons associated with going cashless. The benefits of a cashless approach included reduced cash handling costs, inoculation against theft, and faster transactions for consumers.On the flip side, the note found that cashless businesses promoted outright financial exclusion, made life more difficult for consumers with a preference for cash, and were tied to retailers racking up credit card fees. The 2019 <a href="https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R45716.pdf">report</a> from the Congressional Research Service added that cash provides financial safety and a guaranteed protection of privacy for those unwilling to establish bank accounts. Bau said that cash tends to be the preferred method of payment during events like snowstorms, when there's the possibility that the power will go down or a payment network will crash. Crystal Cox/Business InsiderElectronic payment systems are on the rise, but don't expect cash to disappear anytime soon.Whether or not going cashless saves money - given the reality of card companies' fees - tends to depend on the retailer and how "streamlined" its operations are, according to Bau.Given the legislative backlash and the mixed results offered up by going cashless, it would appear that retailers are at a fork in the road when it comes to payment methods. But that doesn't mean that cashless technology is about to be dumped. The 2019 <a href="https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R45716.pdf">report</a> from the Congressional Research Service noted that cash's "hegemony as a payment system appears to have come to an end, as electronic payment systems have gained popularity, and the ubiquity of cash acceptance for in-person purchases also seems precarious."Cashless options within stores still pose an opportunity that retailers are looking to explore. Bau said that in his office's discussions with retailers and merchants, businesses are typically looking to best accommodate the customer. "In general, retailers want to meet the customer where they're at for a payment option," Bau said.So while a cashless society might be unfeasible at the moment, it would appear that, for some businesses, adopting cashless technology while also maintaining a baseline ability to accept cash may be the strategy. But that's not to say that cash is about to disappear.Cashless stores are in fact just the latest iteration of payment options to pop up over the course of financial history. In the beginning, there was cash. Then the check popped up, following by the inception of the debit card and its cousin, the credit card.Bau said that while the popularity of certain "payment instruments" may spike or wane, they rarely fade away entirely. The same goes for cash, even as retailers weigh unrolling a more omnichannel approach to payments."When we talk with retailers, they don't necessarily see cash as a a payment instrument for the consumers going away," he said. <ul class="read-more-links"><li>Read more in our Revolutionizing Retail series:</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ar-automation-among-shopping-tech-changing-retail-2020-2">From robotic shop assistants to AR, these 10 pieces of tech could change shopping forever</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/toys-r-us-marcys-stores-sensors-data-b8ta-partnership-2020-2">This startup wants to help retailers like Toys R Us, Macy's, and Lowe's revamp their store experience - and it's raised $88.5 million to do it</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/retail-apocalypse-stores-shrinking-more-features-2020-2">The retail apocalypse has forced stores to abandon the mall and transform into a destination where shoppers can take a 'vacation from reality'</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-shopify-stockx-companies-revolutionizing-retail-2020-2">These 17 companies are revolutionizing the retail industry</a></li></ul> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-go-new-store-retail-innovation-technology-2018-2">What it's really like inside Amazon's new no-line grocery store.</a></h3>

Cashless stores once looked like the future of shopping - but backlash has complicated its arrival

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image">Thomson ReutersSwedish armored personnel carriers in Visby harbur, island of Gotland, Sweden, September 14, 2016.</div></div></div>US <keyword id="6354810" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="defense">Defense</keyword> Secretary Jim Mattis reportedly warned Sweden of severe consequences if the country followed through on signing a UN treaty banning nuclear weapons.The Scandinavian country is one of 122 states backing the treaty, and Stockholm also recently signed a statement of intent to increase military cooperation with the US.But <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/sweden-got-a-strange-warning-from-the-trump-administration-2017-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">a letter from Mattis</a> reportedly warned Sweden's defense minister, Peter Hultqvist, that signing on to the treaty could affect US-Sweden military cooperation as well as US military support in the event of war.Mattis' letter <a href="http://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2017/09/01/mattis-reportedly-threatens-swedish-defense-cooperation-over-nuclear-treaty/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">also suggested</a> signing the treaty could have an impact on the country's ties to NATO, of which it is a Gold Card program member, meaning it has some privileges within the defense alliance even though it is not a full member.Sweden's Gold Card program status faces renewal in October, and Mattis warned his Swedish counterpart that signing the treaty would foreclose the option of joining NATO, <a href="http://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2017/09/01/mattis-reportedly-threatens-swedish-defense-cooperation-over-nuclear-treaty/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">according</a> to Defense News.Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheterin also <a href="http://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2017/09/01/mattis-reportedly-threatens-swedish-defense-cooperation-over-nuclear-treaty/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">cited a source</a> as being concerned the threat could apply to US-Sweden defense-industry cooperation, including deals of which Saab is a part. (The Swedish government recently completed a cross-party <a href="http://www.defensenews.com/smr/european-balance-of-power/2017/08/18/new-spending-deal-affects-swedish-militarys-buying-power/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">deal to boost</a> domestic defense spending.)<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Associated Press/Virginia MayoNATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, right, and US Defense Secretary James Mattis at NATO headquarters in Brussels, February 15, 2017.</div></div></div>Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallström <a href="http://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2017/09/01/mattis-reportedly-threatens-swedish-defense-cooperation-over-nuclear-treaty/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">has said</a> the country intends to sign on to the treaty, though Hultqvist is reportedly against doing so.The US, which adheres to a policy of nuclear deterrence, has criticized the nuclear-weapons ban, but Mattis' letter is seen as an unusual step in bilateral relations, particularly between the US and Sweden.A Pentagon spokesman <a href="http://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2017/09/01/mattis-reportedly-threatens-swedish-defense-cooperation-over-nuclear-treaty/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">told</a> Defense News that while the US "values its defense relationship with Sweden," it has discouraged countries from signing on to the ban, which has measures that "could potentially affect our ability to cooperate with parties to the treaty on issues of mutual interest.""The government's attitude towards these weapons is well known since long," Wallström <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/sweden-got-a-strange-warning-from-the-trump-administration-2017-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">told</a> local news outlet Svenska Dagbladet.Jim Townsend, who was deputy assistant secretary of defense for European and NATO policy for eight years, <a href="http://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2017/09/01/mattis-reportedly-threatens-swedish-defense-cooperation-over-nuclear-treaty/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">told</a> Defense News that pressuring Sweden with threats about defense cooperation is a flawed approach.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Soren Andersson/TT News Agency via REUTERSA 160-man combat team from the Skaraborg Armored Regiment trains on the island of Gotland in Visby harbor, Sweden, September 14, 2016.</div></div></div>"They are a close friend in a dangerous neighborhood, and so threatening that important relationship lacks some credibility," said Townsend, who is now with the Center for New American Security. "Do the Swedes really think we would downgrade our relationship to punish them for signing a nuclear ban treaty?"Townsend also stressed caution when using these tactics in important bilateral relationships. "The cause had better be worth the risk" to US national security and to relations between the two countries, he <a href="http://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2017/09/01/mattis-reportedly-threatens-swedish-defense-cooperation-over-nuclear-treaty/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">told</a> Defense News.Sweden and its neighbors, Finland and Norway, maintain military neutrality, but <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/finland-norway-sweden-b-52-air-force-russia-ace-17-2017-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">they work closely</a> with the US and allies in Europe on military matters. Those relationships have grown in importance amid escalating tensions between Russia and countries in Europe.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image">Thomson ReutersPresident Donald Trump with Finnish President Sauli Niinisto at the White House, August 28, 2017.</div></div></div>Norway, which is <a href="http://www.defensenews.com/smr/european-balance-of-power/2017/08/28/norway-proposes-tactics-to-reinforce-border-defense/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">looking to boost</a> its own border defenses, has played host to US military equipment for decades and recently welcomed an extended deployment of US Marines.It's <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/us-marines-extending-deployments-to-norway-for-arctic-training-2017-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the first time</a> a foreign force had been posted on Norwegian soil since World War II, which has irked Russia.During an appearance with Finnish President Sauli Niinistro in late August, Trump falsely claimed that Helsinki was planning to buy F/A-18 fighter aircraft from US defense firm Boeing.While Finland is looking to buy new fighter aircraft, it has not made a deal with Boeing to do so. Trump's comments prompted a denial from Niinistro afterward. "It seems that on the sale side, past decisions and hopes about future decisions have mixed," <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/finland-says-no-fighter-deal-with-boeing-after-trumps-comments-2017-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">he said</a>. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/porsche-911-racing-ice-sweden-2016-11">This frozen lake in Sweden is the perfect track for Porsche lovers to test their skills</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

Mattis reportedly threatened Sweden with retaliation over signing a nuclear-weapons ban

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div></div></div>Vasil Kiryienka of Belarus did the ride of his life on Wednesday at the UCI Road World Championships in Richmond, Virginia, and claimed his first world title at age 34.He won the elite men's individual time trial by riding 53.5 km in 1:02:29.45. His average speed was 51.368 km/h. (That's 33.2 miles at 31.918 mph.)After he finished his ride, an official from the sport's governing body, the UCI, took <a href="http://www.teamsky.com/teamsky/riders/rider/4346#q5qpsZYL5r9IXuyQ.97">Kiryienka</a>'s bike to a restricted area and conducted an inspection to check if there was a motor in the frame.This photo, provided to Business Insider by a member of Kiryienka's support staff, shows an official testing Kiryienka's Pinarello Bolide for a motor in the frame's bottom bracket, which they had to open up to a get a look inside:<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div></div></div>The UCI didn't find a motor, and the rider who's nicknamed&#xa0;"Kiry" was allowed to accept&#xa0;his gold medal and rainbow jersey..<h2>'Mechanical doping'</h2>What the UCI was looking for in Kiry's bike were signs of what has been called "<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/mechanical-doping-in-pro-cycling-2015-6">mechanical doping</a>" or "bike doping," even if <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/mechanical-doping-in-pro-cycling-2015-6">many don't think it's a real problem</a> in professional cycling. Still, the UCI is taking the matter - or at least the possibility of it - very seriously.When asked by Business Insider about the inspection, the UCI replied by email with this statement:The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) takes extremely seriously the issue of technological fraud such as concealed electric motors in bikes, and has therefore added far-reaching sanctions in its Regulations. We have been carrying out controls for many years and although those controls have never found any evidence of such fraud, we know we must be vigilant. We have carried out several unannounced checks on this year's Tour de France and other Grand Tours. The 2015 UCI Road World Championships in Richmond is the latest event where bikes have been controlled this season, including all top 3 riders of each race. These are extensive controls and nothing was found.Though Kiryienka upset the favorites at worlds on Wednesday, he likely would have been in the top 10. It's just that Martin and Dennis were so widely expected to win.Kiryienka normally rides for Britain's Team Sky as a support rider for Chris Froome, the two-time Tour de France winner. Sky says Kiry is "<a href="http://www.teamsky.com/teamsky/riders/rider/4346#0YuiCxDO8kOx5Iyz.97">best known for his power, consistency and machine-like riding style</a>." He won bronze in the world TT before, and he has won stages in the Tour de France and the Tour of Spain.This is a shot of the bike Kiry rode and became world champion on, pictured shortly after the check:<div></div><div></div>And here's Kiry giving his first signature as world champion:<div></div><div></div>The <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/richmond-2015-uci-road-world-championships-of-cycling-2015-8">world championships</a> finish on Sunday with the elite men's circuit race in downtown Richmond. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/stromer-st2-electric-bicycle-review-specs-video-test-2015-7">For $7,000 this bike will get you to work in half the time and keep you from breaking a sweat </a></h3> <div> <div> <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="B5NHU4djqMl6QPSJt3RKBESKLWkqxnBC" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div> </div> </div> </div>

A 34-year-old Belarusian cyclist becomes the fastest time trialist on the planet, and officials checked his bike for a motor

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/hurricane-michael">Hurricane Michael</a>&#xa0;was the strongest storm to hit the US in nearly 50 years, based on its low central pressure.</li><li>Hurricane Hunter Jon Zawislak was on a plane in the eye of the storm just before it made landfall.</li><li>Such flights help meteorologists better understand how strong a storm will be when it lands.</li><li>Zawislak said flying through Michael was probably the craziest ride he's ever taken, and the turbulence lasted for more than three hours.</li></ul>Hurricane Michael was <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hurricane-michael-live-tracker-storm-heads-for-florida-2018-10">a powerful Category 4 storm</a> when it made landfall on the Florida panhandle last week - the worst hurricane that area had ever seen.Louis Uccellini, the director of the National Weather Service (NWS), called it a "worst case scenario" for the area. "Stay inside &amp; survive!" he warned on Twitter.But Jon Zawislak didn't heed that warning. Instead, he flew straight into the eye of the storm.Zawislak holds a PhD in atmospheric <keyword id="41551" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="science">science</keyword> and works as a hurricane field program director for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). As part of that job, he was on the final forecasting flight into Michael as the storm approached land. "It was probably the most turbulent flight we'd been on,"&#xa0;Zawislak told Business Insider after the three pilots steering his plane safely landed the&#xa0;Lockheed WP-3D Orion aircraft back on the ground.Hurricane-hunting missions like this are the only way that the National Hurricane Center can collect vital information on how the eye of a big storm storm is developing. The flights provide data on the storm's wind speed and pressure that can't be gleaned from satellites above the hurricane or weather stations on the ground.On October 11, Zawislak and a crew of about a dozen other scientists, pilots, and technicians strapped into their seats and&#xa0;took off from Lakeland, Florida.&#xa0;The sky was still dark as they&#xa0;headed toward the middle of Michael's swirling clouds; it was the plane's fourth and last flight in the storm.<h2>Michael made for an extremely bumpy ride</h2>Zawislak said he could see the hurricane lighting up the air from his window.Zawislak estimates he's flown on about 40 missions through hurricanes and tropical storms, but said this flight was "extreme."&#xa0;Heading into the northeast corner of the storm was a moment he'll never forget:&#xa0;"The airplane dropped out underneath of you," he said, and then, "we were momentarily elevated out of our seats."It was as if, for a split-second, the crew was soaring through the air, unsupported by a plane. Then, just as suddenly, their butts slammed back into their seats.That kind of upheaval is&#xa0;caused by strong updrafts and downdrafts. It didn't let up for the entire flight, Zawislak said.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div></div></div>One important measurement that hurricane hunters gather is the storm's central pressure: as a hurricane's winds pick up speed, the pressure at its core drops. That means there are fewer air molecules circulating inside the middle of a storm than around it, and the <a href="http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/mtr/prs/def.rxml">dramatic power difference</a>&#xa0;is a key part of what makes hurricanes so dangerous.&#xa0;It's a clear indication to meteorologists that the cyclone is gathering strength.&#xa0;In Michael's case, hurricane hunters like Zawislak&#xa0;also recorded viciously high wind speeds inside the storm shortly before it made landfall, which was how forecasters knew it was a undergoing a dangerous process called "rapid intensification." Michael's wind speed rose by more than 40 mph in less than 24 hours.Those quick shifts make a hurricane like Michael particularly tricky to plan for in advance. On the ground, Michael has so far been blamed for 26 deaths, including 16 in Florida, according to the <a href="https://wgem.com/2018/10/16/the-latest-can-you-hear-me-now-cellphone-service-back-up/">Associated Press</a>. More than two dozen people are still missing in Mexico Beach, near where the storm made landfall.&#xa0;<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ap-florida-officials-fear-michaels-death-toll-will-rise-2018-10">Thousands of others</a> are unable to reach relatives and friends, and unsure if they're safe.&#xa0;The reasons why storms like Michael intensify so quickly aren't well understood. Scientists <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hurricane-michael-fueled-by-warmer-ocean-2018-10">know hurricanes are fueled by warm water</a>, but it's less clear what other processes cause the vicious swirls to spiral faster and faster as they move towards the shore.&#xa0;[Read More:&#xa0;<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hurricane-michael-fueled-by-warmer-ocean-2018-10">Freakishly warm ocean water is a major reason why Hurricane Michael became the strongest storm in decades</a>]<h2>The powerful storm made for a messy scene on the plane&#xa0;</h2>On his flight, Zawislak said, the turbulence caused ocean buoys that crew keeps on board to fall into the aisle of the plane. While flying, he often takes notes on what's happening out the window, but Zawislak said he could barely keep his pen on the paper.&#xa0;"It's not exactly the cleanest handwriting when it's that bumpy," he said.&#xa0;His crew even lost the use of their radar system at one point, though they're not sure whether that malfunction was due to turbulence.&#xa0;Nearby, an Air Force mission also flew through Michael, and the pilot thought it was his bumpiest flight on record too.Once planes make it through the fray and to the eye of a hurricane, things seem suddenly calm. The surrounding clouds make it look like one is inside a fluffy, narrow funnel.&#xa0;Often, meteorologists use the term "stadium effect" to describe the way a hurricane's eye looks to a plane flying through. But these clearings are typically far bigger than a stadium. Zawislak flew through the eye of Hurricane Florence, and said it was <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-its-like-to-fly-into-a-hurricane-according-to-a-scientist-2018-9">more than 15 miles wide</a>&#xa0;at one point.&#xa0;Meteorologist and Air Force hurricane hunter Jeremy DeHart grabbed beautiful footage (below) of the eerie peace inside Hurricane Michael's eye.But DeHart said the rest of his flight was extremely turbulent.&#xa0;"We got our clocks cleaned!" he wrote. "NOT FUN."<h2>Flying through powerful storms like Michael could help improve future forcasts</h2>Perhaps the most rewarding part of the mission for Zawislak is yet to come.In the months ahead, he'll piece together the data his team collected in the air and from the sea. He'll examine the findings from his own flight into the hurricane along with all six&#xa0;other&#xa0;NOAA flights that flew into Michael."This might be one of the best-sampled rapid intensification events that we have on record," Zawislak said.&#xa0;The bumps and jumps feel worth it for that reason alone.&#xa0;"Having the aircraft out there will allow us to learn something about rapid intensification that we didn't know before," he said. In the future, he hopes the data that hurricane-hunting planes collect from the air and sea will help unravel the mystery of how storms like Michael can become so violent and deadly so fast. That knowledge would help forecasters make better predictions about how strong a future storm will get.&#xa0;"I'm happy to go out there and collect the measurements... so that people can become aware of what the threat of this storm is."<div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div> <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-hurricanes-never-hit-europe-2018-10">Why hurricanes hardly ever hit Europe</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

A scientist who's flown into 18 big storms says Hurricane Michael had the craziest turbulence - but those bumpy rides could help forecasters unravel a mystery

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image">Photo courtesy of Tom NewtonBill Ackman, the founder and CEO of $19 billion Pershing Square Capital.</div></div></div>While Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer prepare for a semifinals at the US Open in Flushing Meadows, Wall Street's biggest hitters are gearing up for the first annual "Finance Cup" on Saturday.The Finance Cup will match up Team Wall Street against Team Europe with some of the best players in the financial community in Europe making the trip just for the occasion.The Finance Cup was co-organized by London-based portfolio manager David Anvig and New York-based investment banker Jeff Appel.Appel, affectionately known as the "Mayor of New York Tennis," has been credited with helping young tennis players land jobs on Wall Street. He's also credited for bringing hedge fund manager Bill Ackman, the founder of Pershing Square Capital, back into tennis world.One of the highly anticipated events will be the doubles match between two of the biggest names in activist investing. Ackman's doubles team will go up against Europe's activist investors, Christer Gardell of Cevian Capital, and his partner. <div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_left"><div><div class="image on-image">Reuters/ TT News AgencyEurope's biggest activist investor Christer Gardell is the founder of $15 billion Cevian Capital.</div></div></div>There will be a number of former pros who now work in finance playing in the tournament, including Mario Ancic, Amer Delic, Scott Oudesema, and Brendan Evans. The event will take place at the New York Athletic Club's tennis courts in Pelham at noon on Saturday. Next year's tournament will take place in London. Here are the rosters:Team Wall Street: +45 years old<ul><li>Richey Reneberg (51): He's a partner and head of investor relations at Taconic Capital. Reinberg is a former #1 ranked doubles player in the world and a previous US and Australian Open winner. He was ranked as high as #20 in singles.</li><li>John Ross (51): He's a managing partner at Fidus Partners, a boutique M&amp;A advisor. He played at Southern Methodist University where he was a three-time All-American. He played in the Junior Davis Cup and was ranked #1 in US for 18 year-olds. He was also a finalist at the Wimbledon junior doubles. He had an ATP ranking as high as #92.</li><li>Steve Hentschel (48): He's the founder and CEO of Hentschel &amp; Company, a boutique investment bank. At Princeton, he captained the team and was an All Ivy player who ranked #16 NCAA in singles. </li><li>Jeffrey Appel (captain): Appel is a senior managing director at Broadband Capital, a merchant bank. He recently ranked #12 in USA in 45s singles, and #1 in East singles. He captained the 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013 Eastern National Team that won USTA National Open Level Championships.</li><li>Pablo Salame (49): He's the co-head of global securities at Goldman Sachs and chairman of the partnership committee. He played for Brown University. He was a Junior French Open player. He lived at the Bollettieri Academy as a kid.</li><li>Walter Dolhare (49): He's the head of the markets division at Wells Fargo Securities. He had an ATP ranking of #708 in singles and #596 in doubles. He played #1 for Notre Dame and was ranked #2 as a junior in Argentina.</li><li>Bill Ackman, cocaptain (49): He's the founder of $19 billion Pershing Square Capital Management. He played tennis in high school. He recently returned to the tennis world and has won a number of tournaments in the Wall Street tennis community.</li></ul>Team Wall Street: +35-45 years old<ul><li>Kunj Majmudar (37): He works for Seven Bridges Advisors. He played #1 singles and #1 doubles at Harvard with James Blake. He was ranked #1 NCAA doubles with James Blake.</li><li>Thomas Blake (39): He works for Jaffe Tilchin Investment Partners. He had an ATP ranking of #264. He played #1 for Harvard.</li><li>Kyle Kliegerman (36): He's a partner at Taconic Capital and head of the equity portfolio. He played #1 at Princeton, and had an ATP ranking of # 1272 in singles and #588 in doubles.</li><li>John Pastel (38): Pastel is a senior institutional salesman at Alliance Bernstein. He played Division I tennis and was an All-American for Davidson. He had an ATP ranking of #718.</li><li>Jose Blanco-Sanchez (41): He works at Dorset Energy/DM Knott Partners. He played #1 for VCU. He had an ATP ranking of #669. He was also a top ranked junior in Spain.</li><li>Rob Pohly (44): He's the founder of $6 billion Samlyn Capital. He played #1 for Yale.</li></ul>Team Wall Street: -35 years old<ul><li>Amer Delic (33): He works for Meritage Capital. He had an ATP ranking of #60 in singles and #70 in doubles. He's the current Davis Cup Captain for Bosnia. He won a doubles match this year against Hungary. He played #1 NCAA singles for Illinois.</li><li>Mario Ancic (31): He graduated from Columbia Law School and is now at Credit Suisse's investment banking division in the leveraged finance group. He had an ATP ranking of #7 in the world. He was a semi-finalist at Wimbledon, and a quarter-finalist at all four grand slam tournaments. He had a win against Roger Federer. </li><li>Brendan Evans (29): He works for Goldman, Sachs in the leveraged finance group. He turned pro at 18. He was ranked #2 in world junior in singles and #1 in doubles. He had an ATP ranking of #117 in singles and #119 doubles. He won three junior grand slam doubles tournaments with Scott Oudsema.</li><li>Scott Oudsema (29): He's a private equity associate at Mid-Ocean Partners. He turned pro at 18 after winning four Junior grand slams in doubles with Evans. He was ranked #1 in junior doubles with Evans. In singles, he had an ATP ranking of #255.</li><li>Jason Pinsky (28): He's a portfolio manager at Nema Capital. He was #1 in US in juniors at one point. He played #1 at the University of Pennsylvania.</li><li>Marc Powers (24): He's an analyst at Samlyn Capital. He played #1 at Yale all four years. He was rookie of year and player of year in the Ivy League the same year.</li></ul>Team Europe: +45 years old<ul><li>Zubin Irani (46): He's a partner at Westbrook Partners and former partner at Goldman Sachs. He was ranked in the top 30 in the world as a junior. He played #1 for Cornell.</li><li>Alfredo Caturano (46): He's a managing director at JP Morgan. He was an Italian Junior Doubles Champion for 18 year olds.</li><li>Christer Gardell, cocaptain (55): He's the founder of Cevian Capital, a $15 billion activist hedge fund. He won a bronze medal at the European Tennis Championships in doubles for +55.</li><li>Luc Pajot (51): He's the co-founder of Brevan Howard, Europe's largest hedge fund. He ranked #81 in the world last year in the +50 age category.</li><li>Jan Olsson (55): He's the CEO of Deutsche Bank Nordics. He played college tennis at Pomona College</li></ul>Team Europe 45-45 years old<ul><li>Tobias Hildebrand (40): He's the head of HSBC Private Banking in the Nordics. He had an ATP ranking of #427 in singles. He was in the top #250 in doubles.</li><li>Oliver Freelove (38): He works for Marex Spectron. He had an ATP ranking of #53 in singles and was top #250 in doubles. He played for the University of Illinois and was ranked #4 in NCAA in singles. </li><li>James Reynolds (40): He's a managing director at Goldman Sachs. </li><li>Thierry Lucas (44): He's the founder at Portland Hill Capital and former head trader at Eton Park Europe. He was a top French national junior player. He played in Futures tournaments. He won the silver medal at the Portuguese National Championship in the +40 years old category 2 years ago.</li></ul>Team Europe -35 years old<ul><li>Ludovic Walter (32): He's an associate at Cohen Partners. He had an ATP ranking of #279 in singles. He played #1 for Duke and was ranked #2 in the NCAA in singles.</li><li>Alexander Hartman (35): He's worked at Goldman Sachs in M&amp;A and Altor Equity Partners. He had an ATP ranking of #390 in singles. He was ranked #6 in singles in the NCAA. He played #1 for Ole Miss.</li><li>Luis Rattenhuber (28): He's worked at Goldman Sachs as an M&amp;A analyst. He just started at Harvard Business School. He won a Futures-level tournament in doubles.</li><li>Luben Pampoulov (34): He's the cofounder of GSV Asset Management. He had an ATP ranking of #392 in singles. He played #1 for UCLA and won the NCAA championships team event for UCLA.</li><li>David Anving, captain (33): He's a partner at family office Global Asset Capital in London. He was the captain of the tennis team at the University of Michigan.</li></ul>Here's the schedule for the matches (There will be three doubles matches in three age categories-45+, 35-45, and 35 and under): Round 1:Ct 1. Amer Delic/Mario Ancic - Ludovic Walter/Alexander HartmanCt 2. John Ross/Steve Hentschel - Zubin Irani/Alfredo CaturanoCt 3. Kunj Majmudar/Thomas Blake - Tobias Hildebrand/Oliver FreeloveRound 2:Ct 1.. Brendan Evans/Scott Oudsema - Luis Rattenhuber/David AnvingCt 2. Jeffrey Appel/Pablo Salame - Christer Gardell/Jan OlssonCt 3. Jon Pastel/Jose Blanco-Sanchez - James Reynolds/Thierry LucasRound 3:Ct 1. Walter Dohare/Bill Ackman - Zubin Irani/Christer GardellCt 2. Kunj Majmudar/Rob Pohly - Oliver Freelove/James ReynoldsCt 3. Amer Delic/Jason Pinsky - Ludovic Walter/Luis Rattenhuber <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/subways-jared-fogle-allegedly-sent-lewd-texts-2015-8">More trouble for Subway's Jared Fogle...</a></h3> <div> <div> <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="5ncHNudjonEIaSoYSJP9tcN-cA_jh7Sm" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div> </div> </div> </div>

Bill Ackman is about to face off against Europe's biggest activist investor on the tennis court in the first-ever 'Finance Cup'

<div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right"><div class="image on-image"></div></div>The Swedish military is <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/magnus-nordenman-sweden-submarine-hunt-russian-aggression-2014-10">currently hunting what they have described as a mysterious foreign vessel</a> that's violating the country's territorial waters. Swedish authorities <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/swedens-difficult-sub-hunt-2014-10">aren't sure what they're looking for</a> - or even how many vessels they're looking for. Confirmed details are scarce, but it's at least possible they're looking for a Russian submarine, a potentiality that's led Swedish military planners <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/sweden-ready-to-use-armed-force-to-bring-suspicious-vessel-to-surface-2014-10">to consider using "armed force"</a> in order to coerce the vessel into surfacing.
The Swedes want to pull off one of the most difficult naval maneuvers of all: capturing a submarine. This is so difficult <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/the-story-the-hughes-glomar-explorer-2014-10">the CIA spent six years trying to raise a wrecked Soviet sub</a> from the ocean floor in the late 1960s and early 70s - which is a less outlandish endeavor than trying to bring in a live, functioning one.
No Soviet or Russian submarine has ever been captured. A Japanese midget submarine was <a href="http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-fornv/japan/japsh-h/ha19.htm">taken</a> after running aground duirng the Pearl Harbor raid. But only one Axis sub was actually boarded on the high seas during the war and its story demonstrates the near-impossibility of taking an enemy vessel whole.
U-505 <a href="http://www.msichicago.org/whats-here/exhibits/u-505/">currently sits in Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry</a>, with 70-year-old bullet holes tracing the outline of a sloping chrome-colored hull. Visitors can tour its cramped interior with guides that indicate where a series of self-destruct charges were hidden to be used in the the unthinkable and nearly unprecedented event of an enemy boarding. After a top-secret military and intelligence effort spanning several months, the entire mission was in danger even after American sailors set foot on the defeated U-505 150 miles off the coast of west Africa on June 4th, 1944.
Capturing a submarine is remarkably difficult. A dedicated captain will sink his vessel rather than let it fall into enemy hands and a hull breach or badly-placed depth charge could wreck the ship before it's even in a position too be boarded. Here's how it was done in the case of U-505.
U-505 was captured <a href="http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq91-1.htm">based on intercepted German communications</a> suggesting U-boats would be operating near Africa, about 150 miles off the coast of present-day Cape Verde, in May of 1944. A so-called "hunter-killer" force called Task Group 22.3 - under the command of Rear Admiral Daniel Gallery and the USS Guadalcanal carrier group - was dispatched to the U-boats' suspected area of operation with the express objective of capturing rather than destroying an enemy sub. 
The hunt for U-505 depended on an intercepted message decrypted as part of a joint US-British effort to break German naval codes. Capturing the sub required knowing where the vessel was roughly going to be ahead of time. Even then, Task Group 22.3, which included no fewer than six US Navy ships, had to spend two seemingly fruitless weeks scouring the area for sub activity - a hefty commitment of time and resources even under the best of circumstances.
The searchers nearly ran out of fuel. They only encountered U-505 by luck, and were fortunate not to accidentally destroy the ship in the initial confrontation. One of the Guadalcanal's escorts "made sonar contact on an object just 800 yards away on her starboard bow. Guadalcanal immediately swung clear at top speed, desperately trying to avoid getting in the way, as Chatelain and the other escorts closed the position," according to a <a href="http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq91-1.htm">US Navy description</a>.
The six American vessels attempted to enclose the U-boat. The Chatelain dropped a depth charge designed only to explode on contact; the Guadalcanal scrambled two of its planes to track the ship and fire on the water in order to mark its expected position. A round of depth charges from the fast-closing Chatelian convinced the sub to surface. 
<div class="KonaFilter image-container float_left"><div class="image on-image"></div></div>"Just six and one-half minutes after Chatelain's first attack, U-505 broke the surface with its rudder jammed, lights and electrical machinery out, and water coming in," the Navy's account reads.
The American fleet was still vulnerable to an underwater attack. One of the escort ships swept the sub's deck with machine-gun fire; another fired a warning torpedo. A boarding party from the USS Pillsbury only attempted to land on the enemy ship when it showed no apparent signs of activity. And even then, those self-destruct charges threatened to bring the whole operation down while killing every member of the boarding team.
Luckily, the German crew surrendered peaceably - and the sub turned out to be a cryptological bonanza, with encrypted typewriters that <a href="http://www.archives.gov/global-pages/larger-image.html?i=/research/recover/images/brochure/U-505-memo-l.jpg&amp;c=">included the cypher keys for German vessels planned to use for the next two months of the war</a>.
But any number of factors could have doomed the hunt for U-505. 
The sub's crew was demoralized - it knew it was under enemy pursuit, and one of its commanding officers committed suicide in the vessel's control room shortly before U-505 was captured. A more skilled or committed crew might have opted to destroy the sub entirely - and an ill-placed depth charge from a US ship could have accidentally ended the operation for good.
This doesn't mean the Swedes can't catch their alleged Russian sub. As Reuters <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/10/22/us-sweden-deployment-idUSKCN0IB1OF20141022">reports</a>, the country's military is considered to be skilled in anti-submarine warfare.
However, Sweden sold off or retired many of its submarine-hunting helicopters in 2008; that same Reuters article says some of them are currently in a Swedish museum. The sub hunt is the biggest Swedish military operation since the Cold War, but it only involves five anti-submarine corvettes working in a vast and rocky Scandinavian island chain prone to bad weather.
Luck might be on Stockholm's side, and the search is understandable even if it returns empty-handed. Sweden wants to prove it takes violations of its sovereignty seriously. And the actual capture of a Russian sub, which could yield substantial intelligence or valuable captives, would give Sweden and its allies an indispensable and perhaps unprecedented degree of leverage over Vladimir Putin.
Even so, the odds are against a Swedish Armed Forces <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/swedens-difficult-sub-hunt-2014-10">whose leadership already seems exasperated</a> by the task before it. It's likely whatever Sweden is hunting won't surface until it's back in friendly waters - and that the search effort will seem like a semi-farcical hunt for nothing.

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