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NEW DELHI: The spate of serious aviation mishaps globally is all set to impact the financials of already struggling <keyword id="1446" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="indian-airlines">Indian airlines</keyword>. A leading unlisted Indian airline will have to renew its aircraft <keyword id="35450" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="insurance">insurance</keyword> in coming days. To its horror, it found that insurance premia charged by foreign companies (Indian insurers do not provide cover for aircraft to airlines) have shot by 15-20%.<br />
<br />
"Our insurance covers have to be renewed shortly. The initial talks we had with insurers in past few days showed that premia are up by 15-20%. May be when we actually strike a deal, the hike is softened a bit but general insurers feel that their underwriting risk is up and they are going to charge more," said the CEO of this airline.<br />
<br /> Another airline also confirmed that insurance premia are up. "We are trying to minimize this blow as any additional cost has to be passed on to the flyer. In India, however, irrational pricing by some airlines means that we are unable to recover our costs. For airlines in black, it means lower profits. And, for loss-making carriers, it means more red ink on the balance sheet," said a <keyword id="160569" type="POSITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="senior-official">senior official</keyword> of the airline.<br />
<br /> Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) India head <keyword id="159658" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kapil-Kaul">Kapil Kaul</keyword> said he did not see insurance costs going up sharply except for airlines in "war or conflict" areas. "Premiums have been at their lowest for quite some time and increases, if any, will be marginal," he said.<br />
<br /> However, for Indian carriers battling high costs any rise in cost is a bad news. Of all desi airlines, only low-cost IndiGo claims to be consistently profitable. GoAir has started reporting profits since last two fiscals. All others are deep in the red, with one airline facing a serious question mark on its survival prospects due to a severe <keyword id="6357455" type="EVENT" weightage="20" keywordseo="Funding">funding</keyword> crunch.<br />
<br /> "Indian carriers cannot survive in the existing cost structure. The government should provide relief on jet fuel price front else there will be some more Kingfisher-like fold ups," said an <keyword id="203924" type="POSITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="airline-official">airline official</keyword>. According to CAPA, collective losses of Indian airlines in past seven years till March 2014 are $10.6 billion and their combined debt is $15.8 billion. Airlines are expected to collectively lose $1.8 billion in FY 2013-14 and $1.4 billion in FY-15.<br />
<br />

Desi Carriers' Insurance Costs Rise 20% On Global Crashes

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Frederic J. Brown/AFP</span></p><p class="caption">Li Dongsheng</p></div><p></p></div></div>A senior official in China's Ministry of Public Security has been sacked for "disciplinary violations", state media said Wednesday, the latest target in a corruption crackdown by the ruling Communist Party.</p>
<p>Li Dongsheng, formerly a vice minister of public security, was removed from his various posts for "severe violations of discipline", according to an official circular reported by the state Xinhua agency.</p>
<p>The phrase is usually used to indicate alleged corruption.</p>
<p>The move to sack Li had been expected after the party's Central Commission for Discipline Inspection announced last week that he was under investigation.</p>
<p>Li was one of nine people with the rank of vice minister at the Ministry of Public Security, the government department in charge of policing.</p>
<p>He also served as a vice secretary on the ministry's party committee and was deputy head of a leading group that deals with the prevention and handling of issues related to cults, the commission announcement said.</p>
<p>The powerful ministry is one of China's most important, responsible for helping maintain order in the world's most populous country of 1.35 billion people and one where the party does not tolerate challenges to its rule.</p>
<p>President Xi Jinping has taken a hard line against graft, waste and extravagance since coming to power a little over one year ago.</p>
<p>He has warned that corruption could destroy the party and threatened to crack down on high-ranking officials, described as "tigers", along with low-level "flies".</p>
<div class="nc_footer">
<p>Copyright (2013) AFP. All rights reserved.</p>
</div>
<p></p>

Another Senior Chinese Official Fired In Corruption Crackdown

<br /> If you’re a cricket crazy Indian, count till December. In a nerve thrilling cricket series, India would take on its immediate neighbour and a tough rival in the gentleman’s game, Pakistan. Both the nations believing cricket series to be a key to unlock the path to peace are keen on the game-treaty. Proof being, <keyword id="43712" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Pakistan-Cricket-Board">Pakistan Cricket Board</keyword> <keyword id="6369681" type="POSITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="chief">chief</keyword> <keyword id="273629" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Shahryar-Khan">Shahryar Khan</keyword> <keyword id="2850931" type="POSITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="meeting-finance-minister">meeting finance minister</keyword> <keyword id="42575" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Arun-Jaitley">Arun Jaitley</keyword> yesterday to discuss the same.<br />
<br /> Anurag Thakur, the <keyword id="44284" type="POSITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Secretary">secretary</keyword> of the <keyword id="81008" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Board-of-Control-for-Cricket-in-India">Board of Control for Cricket in India</keyword> (<keyword id="6354756" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="BCCI">BCCI</keyword>) told The Economic Times that there is no final commitment yet and that these are just initial talks. Thakur had also met Khan in Delhi yesterady. <br />
<br /> As per the news report published in the ET, a few <keyword id="14666" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="BJP">BJP</keyword> MPs had raised objections to a proposed India-Pakistan series. Modi had told his party men at a BJP parliamentary party meeting on Tuesday that the government has taken a decision to start a cricket series between the two countries to improve relations. <br />
<br /> PCB chief Khan had said earlier this week, after a meeting with Indian cricket board president <keyword id="82274" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Jagmohan-Dalmiya">Jagmohan Dalmiya</keyword>, that Pakistan was ready to host India in the UAE in December. <br />
<br /> A <keyword id="160569" type="POSITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="senior-official">senior official</keyword> told the financial daily that the home ministry had been broached for its views on the prospect of holding a India-Pakistan cricket series in the UAE and has conveyed that since the series is proposed in a third country, it falls outside the MHA remit. The <keyword id="6354852" type="POSITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="official">official</keyword> said MHA view is that this is "purely a ministry of external affairs matter as it concerns international relations". "Had the series been proposed in India, we would have surely done a domestic assessment of the same considering the security scenarios. But a series in a third country is purely in the domain of the MEA. This has been conveyed by us," said a <keyword id="1735963" type="POSITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="senior-home-ministry-official">senior home ministry official</keyword>, on condition of anonymity. <br />
<br />
The December series is likely to have three Tests, five ODIs and two T20 matches. Khan, however, was quoted as saying that there was one more hurdle to overcome. <br />
<br /> A <keyword id="306885" type="POSITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="senior-BCCI-official">senior BCCI official</keyword> said Khan was referring to differences between the two boards on broadcast rights as PCB has an association with Ten <keyword id="6356028" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sports">Sports</keyword>, owned by <keyword id="2850930" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Subhash-Chandra-run">Subhash Chandra-run</keyword> Zee group. Chandra has been in the news for trying to set up a rival cricketing league and BCCI does not approve of PCB's association with Ten. <br />

India might play cricket with
Pakistan in December. But there might
be a spoiler ahead

<ul class="summary-list"><li>According to a Kyodo <keyword id="6355005" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="news">News</keyword> report, a senior Japanese official said cancelling the <keyword id="6360967" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="olympics">Olympics</keyword> was still "an option."</li><li>Japan is now less than 100 days away from the opening ceremony of the <keyword id="4741" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Tokyo">Tokyo</keyword> Games on July 23. </li><li>Tokyo saw a spike in infections on Wednesday when it confirmed another 591 COVID cases.</li></ul><p>Tokyo might be less than 100 days away from the opening ceremony of the Olympics, but calling it off is still an option, said a senior Japanese official on Thursday. </p><p>Speaking in a televised interview with Kyodo News, Toshihiro Nikai, secretary-general of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, said: "If rising coronavirus cases means 'this is impossible', we would have to give up."</p><p>He added that cancellation was, "of course," an "option", saying: "If the Olympics were to spread infection, then what are the Olympics for?"</p><p>Nikai's comments came in the wake of a troubling rise in COVID cases in the Tokyo area on Wednesday. </p><p>According to <a href="https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/04/97bb095df67f-japan-marks-100-days-to-go-until-olympics-amid-covid-uncertainty.html">Kyodo News</a>, Tokyo confirmed 591 COVID cases, the highest number the city saw since the government lifted its second COVID state of emergency on March 21. Separately, Japan reported more than 4,300 cases yesterday, its first massive spike since January 28, as health authorities contend with more contagious variants of the virus that are spreading across the country. </p><p>The <a href="https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/04/15/national/fourth-wave-omi-coronavirus/">Japan Times</a> reported that Japan's top virus expert Toshio Nakagawa, president of the Japan Medical Association, has acknowledged that the country is hitting its fourth wave of COVID infections, particularly as daily cases surge to record highs in Western Japan. </p><p>The Japan Times wrote that Nakagawa called for an "early emergency declaration" to be made, as a surge of cases is expected during the Golden Week holiday period, which begins on April 29 and ends on May 5.</p><p>The surge in virus infections has fueled further skepticism on whether the games should be held this summer, following the cancellation of the Olympic torch relay in Osaka. The Olympic flame was initially meant to pass through the prefecture on Tuesday and Wednesday, but <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/4/1/osakas-olympic-torch-relay-in-peril-as-covid-forces-restrictions">these plans were canned</a> to keep COVID cases low. </p><p>That might have come a day late and a dollar short, as Osaka's new COVID cases hit a record 1,130 on Wednesday, with the <a href="http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/13986145">medical system in the city hitting breaking point</a> - as close to 98% of hospital beds meant for seriously ill COVID patients are now occupied. </p><p>Local news network <a href="https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20210414/p2g/00m/0sp/052000c">Mainichi</a> reported that Tokyo governor Yuriko Koike vowed to keep COVID under control in the Japanese capital, to ensure that the Olympics can take place safely. Koike added that the quasi-state of emergency that Japan is currently under until May 11 will be a "crucial period" in the "battle against COVID," before the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Games takes place on July 23. </p><p>Calls for the Olympics to be canceled are not new, as a <a href="https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/04/8cc7bf0d69af-breaking-news-60-discontent-with-progress-in-japans-covid-vaccine-rollout-poll.html">Kyodo report</a> this week noted that 39.2% of over 500 people surveyed said that the Japanese government should consider canceling the Olympics and Paralympics - which have already been postponed for a year. Another 32.8% said that the games should be re-scheduled, while 24.5% thought the games should go on as planned. </p><p><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-olympics-2020-coronavirus/tokyo-olympics-might-yet-be-cancelled-due-to-covid-19-japanese-official-idUSKBN2C208V?il=0">Reuters</a> reported that Nikai issued a written statement on Thursday afternoon, to clarify his position on the matter. </p><p>"I want the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics to succeed," he said in the statement, adding that there will be no change to the government's policy of providing support to stage a safe and secure Tokyo Olympics.</p><p>"At the same time, to the question of whether we would host the (Games) no matter what, that is not the case. That's what I meant by my comments."</p>

Senior Japanese official says canceling Olympics is an 'option'

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Reuters</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>Britain's EU Commissioner, Lord Johnathan Hill, just resigned.</p><p>Hill was the most senior British EU official. His resignation comes one day after Britons voted to leave the European Union in a nation-wide referendum.</p><p><a href="https://ec.europa.eu/commission/2014-2019/hill/announcements/statement-lord-hill-25062016_en" target="_blank">Hill said in a statement</a> that when he went to Brussels, he went as someone who had campaigned against the <keyword id="6354868" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="UK">UK</keyword> joining the union, but that he would "leave it certain that, despite its frustrations, our membership was good for our place in the world and good for our economy.</p><p>"But what is done cannot be undone and now we have to get on with making our new relationship with Europe work as well as possible."</p><p>Hill was a former advisor to Kenneth Clarke and John Major and was the European Commissioner for Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union. He had been working for the Commission since October 2014.</p><p>On Saturday, German newspaper BILD asked EU Commissioner Jean-Claude Juncker whether Hill would remain in office, to which Juncker answered: "First and foremost that is something that Lord Hill, an experienced politician for whom I have great respect, will have to decide."</p><p>In his statement, Hill said that he was very disappointed with the result of the referendum and thanked Juncker for giving him the opportunity to work "on financial services and for the opportunity to help support jobs and growth in Europe," and said he did not believe it was right to carry on "as though nothing had happened."</p><p>Hill will continue working with the commission in the weeks ahead to ensure an "orderly handover."</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/map-shows-how-religion-spread-around-the-world-2016-6">This animated map shows how religion spread across the world </a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="F5aHR4dTob1y4-cHP5qNzXITGcq1vPVW" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

The UK's most senior EU official just resigned

<br /> True to its dictatorial essence, North Korea today witnessed the execution of another senior official for allegedly disrespecting its top leader <keyword id="182233" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kim-Jong-Un">Kim Jong Un</keyword>. According to the South Korean intelligence, the victim was none other than the state’s minister of the People’s Armed Forces, General <keyword id="1681917" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hyon-Yong-Chol">Hyon Yong Chol</keyword>.<br />
<br />
According to a report, the South Korean intelligence suggested that It is believed that Gen. Chol was purged and executed with an anti-aircraft gun in the capital city Pyongyang on April 30 this year. Chol was killed after being declared a ‘traitor’ after he was found dozing off during military event. He also allegedly tried second-guessing Kim’s orders.<br />
<br />
Following the incident, Kim quickly labeled Hyon as disloyal and execution orders were issued. This is one of the many executions that have taken place in the isolated country after Kim took charge after his father, Kim Jong Il’s demise in 2011. The dictatorial leader has also executed 15 senior government officials which included two vice ministers last month.<br />
<br />
According to reports, Kim has ordered a total of 68 senior officials between 2012 and 2014 in a bid thwart any attempt to challenge his authority.<br />
<br /> It should be noted that the dictator has also executed his uncle, <keyword id="1356040" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Jang-Song-Thaek">Jang Song Thaek</keyword>, who was once considered to be the second most powerful man in North Korea for allegedly stealing state funds and planning to disrupt Kim’s rule in 2013.<br />
<br />
<em>Image Credit: Indiatimes.com</em>

Scary!
North Korea’s Kim Jong Un executes another senior official

<p><strong><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Business Insider</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></strong></p><ul class="summary-list"><li><strong>Chinese Vice-Premier Liu He is set to fly to Washington for preparatory trade talks ahead of a meeting between US President Trump, and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, South China Morning Post reports.</strong></li><li><strong>Trump and Xi are expected to hold an informal meeting on the sidelines of the G20 in Buenos Aires, Argentina at the end of November.</strong></li><li><strong>Separately, the Wall Street Journal reported overnight that US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin held a phone conversation with Liu He on Friday evening.</strong></li><li><strong>Markets welcomed the news, with European stock benchmarks up and US index futures inching higher</strong></li></ul><p>Trade relations between the US and China appear to be thawing a little ahead of an informal meeting between President Donald Trump and his counterpart Xi Jinping later this month.</p><p>Trump and Xi are expected to hold an informal meeting on the sidelines of the G20 in Buenos Aires, Argentina at the end of November, and senior officials from both countries seem to be priming the pump with a series of preparatory meetings.</p><p>Most recently, <a href="https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/2172878/chinas-top-trade-war-negotiator-prepares-pave-way-xi-jinping">the South China Morning Post reported </a>on Tuesday that <span>Chinese Vice-Premier Liu He is set to fly to Washington DC at some point before the Buenos Aires meeting, with the aim of meeting senior officials in the Trump administration.</span></p><p><span>When he will fly to the US is as yet unconfirmed, the SCMP report added.</span></p><p><span>Separately, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-china-resume-talks-to-cool-trade-tensions-1542064355">the Wall Street Journal reported</a> overnight that US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin held a phone conversation with Liu He on Friday evening to discuss the trade issues. That conversation "didn't lead to any breakthrough," the Journal reports.</span></p><p><em><strong>Read more: <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/navarro-trump-china-trade-war-goldman-sachs-wall-street-2018-11">Trump's top trade adviser just warned Goldman Sachs and Wall Street not to leave their 'stench' on the US-China trade war talks</a></strong></em></p><p>"At present, both countries economic teams are having contacts about putting into effect the consensus of the two countries leaders," <span>Assistant Commerce Minister Li Chenggang told reporters earlier this month.</span></p><p>"We hope that this work, with the hard efforts of both sides, can achieve positive progress."</p><p><span>Reports of a potential meeting between Liu He and his US counterparts comes soon after a report that President Trump has once again raised the possibility of <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/trump-trade-war-auto-car-tariff-eu-concern-negotiation-tactic-2018-11">levying large tariffs on the import of cars into the US.</a></span></p><p><span>According to a report from Bloomberg, the White House is internally circulating a draft report from the Commerce Department on auto tariffs. Trump plans to meet with his trade team on Tuesday to discuss the report. Releasing a Commerce Department report on auto tariffs would be the next formal step toward imposing such restrictions.</span></p><p><span>The US government has already introduced tariffs ranging from between 10% to 25% on $250 billion worth of Chinese goods entering the US, triggering similar tariffs introduced by Chinese policymakers on US goods entering the nation, albeit on a smaller scale.</span></p><p><span>Trump has previously threatened to place tariffs on all Chinese imports into the US, totalling more than $500 billion of goods, a move that would likely slow global trade significantly.</span></p><p><span>Stocks have greeted the news of potential further dialogue between the world's two largest economies, with China's benchmark Shanghai Composite gaining close to 1% on Tuesday, and major European bourses rising as much as 0.7%. The Euro Stoxx 50 broad index is about 0.6% higher. </span></p><p><span>US stock index futures are also up slightly after a tech-led selloff yesterday. </span></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/valentina-tereshkova-first-woman-space-travel-russia-2015-11">The first woman in space almost didn't make it back to Earth and she had to keep it a secret for 30 years</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

One of China's most senior officials is going to the US to try and diffuse Trump's trade war

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - A senior Iranian official has confirmed that his country and the U.S. exchanged messages over the fight against the militant Islamic State group.</p>
<p>Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian also was quoted Saturday by Iranian media as saying Iran warned Washington that Israel's security will be at risk should the U.S. and its allies seek to topple Syrian President Bashar Assad in the name of fighting the extremist group.</p>
<p>Iran has backed Assad during Syria's three-year civil war. The U.S. has called for Assad to resign and rules out cooperating with his government in the fight against the Islamic State group.</p>
<p>Abdollahian's comments were the first time a senior Iranian official confirmed that Iran and the U.S. had discussed fighting the Islamic State group.</p>
<div class="nc_footer">
<p>Copyright (2014) Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.</p>
</div>

Senior Iranian Official Confirms Messages With The US Over ISIS

Once again a case of mysterious disappearance of <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=gold+">gold</a> from the customs secure vaults has come into light. The missing <keyword id="18712" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="Gold">gold</keyword> is worth about Rs 6.2 crore as per the latest market price and was seized from smugglers.<br />
 <br />
It was found that a total of 23.6 kg of gold disappeared recently from highly-secured customs vaults at <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Indira+Gandhi+International+Airport+">Indira Gandhi International Airport</a> (<keyword id="114637" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="IGIA">IGIA</keyword>) in Delhi. <br />
 <br />
FIRs have been registered in such cases by <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Delhi+Police">Delhi Police</a>, the customs department said in reply to an <keyword id="6356198" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="RTI">RTI</keyword> query filed by PTI.<br />
 <br />
"Departmental enquiry at highest level has been initiated in the said cases," it said.<br />
 <br />
The gold, in bullion or jewellery, seized from smugglers is generally kept in secure vaults inside the airport terminals.<br />
 <br />
The cases of mysterious disappearance of gold from the customs secure vaults are being regularly reported. Therefore, the role of customs officials posted there has now come under scrutiny, official sources said.<br />
 <br />
In June, the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=customs+">customs</a> officials had lodged a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=First+Information+Report+">First Information Report</a> (FIR) with police to report disappearance of 11 kg of gold, worth Rs 2.92 crore, from its vault.<br />
 <br />
That gold was seized in five incidents from passengers who had allegedly tried to smuggle it through the international airport, they said.<br />
 <br />
The incident had come to light when packets containing the yellow metal, covered and sealed at the instance of courts, were opened before a departmental committee as part of inventory proceedings. A test revealed that the sealed material was not gold, the sources said.<br />
 <br />
In most of the cases, gold is being replaced with yellow-colour metal, they said.<br />
 <br /> "The role of insiders cannot be ruled out. Both the department and police are probing the matter," a <keyword id="315559" type="POSITION" weightage="60" keywordseo="senior-customs-official">senior customs official</keyword> said.<br />
 <br /> An FIR was also filed last year to probe similar instances of theft. Theft of gold from five packets had been reported to the police on January 16, 20; April 30 and December 23, 2014, as per the <keyword id="6358992" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Delhi-Police">Delhi Police</keyword> FIR.<br />
 <br />
In these cases also, gold worth lakhs of rupees was replaced by a yellow metal, it said. <br />
<br />
(Image: Indiatimes)  <br />

This one’s quite the heist! Gold worth Crores has gone missing from the Customs Dept’s vaults

<p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, the Emir of Dubai, has sacked a bunch of&#xa0;senior staff and ordered a major shake-up of the way the city is run after visiting government offices at 7:30 on a Sunday morning and finding that many staff were not yet at work.<p>The Sheikh made an unannounced trip to a government office in Dubai, the city known for its huge skyscrapers and crazy wealth, this past Sunday - which is a normal working day in the United Arab Emirates - and seems to have been disappointed by the lack of staff present.</p><p>After the visit, his government posted a video of him making the trip and finding the office&#xa0;empty on Instagram, an exercise which a Dubai media official said was intended to "send a message" <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-emirates-dubai-shakeup-idUSKCN11424X?il=0">according to Reuters</a>. You can see the video, showing al-Maktoum inspecting an empty office, below:</p><p><div>    </div></p><p>Soon after the visit, al-Maktoum announced the forced retirement of nine of Dubai's most senior officials, all from the Dubai Municipality's executive management, including directors and assistant director-generals in departments such as legal affairs and planning, the United Arab Emirates' state news agency WAM reported, <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3764002/Dubais-ruler-orders-management-shake-absences.html">according to the Mail Online.</a>&#xa0;He thanked the officials for their services, but said that the Emirate needs a new generation of leadership going forward.</p><p>Along with the trip to the office buildings, al-Maktoum also visited Dubai's international airport to carry out a similar inspection. This visit was also posted on Instagram:</p><p><div>    </div></p><p>While the number of absences from the office early in the morning are likely to have influenced the Sheikh's decision, the restructuring is also part of a broader movement within the Middle East to cut down on the number of bureaucratic staff employed, Reuters reports. This is being undertaken as a means of coping with persistently low oil prices, which <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/hsbc-note-on-saudi-arabia-and-economic-reforms-2016-5">have severely impacted on the government finances of Gulf nations in the past year or so.</a></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/warren-buffett-sister-giving-away-millions-2016-8">Warren Buffett's sister needs your help giving away millions</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="gwcjJjNTE6-mzciQmSHk6Bvdz1giNo4S" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

Dubai's ruler sacked 9 senior officials because they weren't at work at 7:30 in the morning

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Several pro-Kremlin officials in Ukraine's occupied territories have been killed or attacked.</li><li>In Kherson, at least one official was killed in an attack using HIMARS missiles, occupation officials said.</li></ul><p>Ukraine struck an office building where pro-Kremlin collaborators were meeting in Kherson, the latest apparent attack on authorities in occupied territories, occupation officials have claimed.</p><p>Kirill Stremousov, the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-allegedly-plans-to-hold-sham-referendum-in-kherson-2022-3">Russian-installed</a> deputy leader of Kherson, told Russian state TV that US-provided <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/himars-ukraine-perfect-weapon-exploit-russia-bad-logistics-expert-2022-7">HIMARS</a> rockets struck the area around his office on Friday, per <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraine-bombards-government-building-kherson-russian-installed-officials-say-2022-09-16/">Reuters</a>.</p><p><a href="https://twitter.com/mjluxmoore/status/1570702311319801857?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1570702311319801857%7Ctwgr%5E5b3cc426693f459e7c0a0e671d7a361ab1d17cfa%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.telegraph.co.uk%2Fworld-news%2F2022%2F09%2F16%2Fukraine-strikes-russias-kherson-hq-top-officials-meet%2F">Videos</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/novostidnua/status/1570702823259803651">taken</a> after the explosion appear to show smoke billowing from the damaged building.</p><p>Stremousov said that while it was too early to confirm the number of casualties, several people had been killed and wounded. </p><p>The Kremlin-appointed labor minister for Kherson, Alla Barkhatnova, said she was injured in the attack and her driver was killed, <a href="https://news.ru/europe/ministr-socpolitiki-hersonskoj-oblasti-barhatnova-rasskazala-o-vzryve/">Russian media</a> reported.</p><p>Separately, the prosecutor-general of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic and his deputy were killed in an <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/9/16/office-bomb-blast-kills-top-separatist-prosecutors-in-luhansk">explosion at their office</a> on Friday, the head of the separatist administration said on Telegram.</p><p>Ukraine has not taken responsibility for either attack, which Kremlin collaborators have labeled "terrorist" acts.</p><p>Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's senior adviser Mykhailo Podolyak denied that Ukraine was behind the Luhansk explosion, suggesting on <a href="https://twitter.com/Podolyak_M/status/1570737589199732738">Twitter</a> it was likely due to organized criminal groups or an attempt to get rid of witnesses of war crimes.</p><p>There have also been reports of attacks on officials in the occupied city of <a href="https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-bardin-official-berdyansk-attacked/32021282.html">Berdyansk</a>.</p><p>While there have previously been sporadic reports of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-guerilla-units-in-kherson-assassinate-bomb-russian-occupiers-2022-8">attacks on occupation officials</a>, they have not typically been on such a coordinated scale or through the use of long-range munitions.</p><p>Ukraine is currently waging a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-celebrates-victory-in-retaking-parts-of-kharkiv-region-2022-9">successful counteroffensive</a> in the Kharkiv region, where it is making <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-military-says-it-tripled-amount-land-recaptured-from-russia-2022-9">sizable gains</a>, along with counterattacks in the southern region of Kherson.</p>

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