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New Office 365 subscriptions for consumers plunged 62% in 2016

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NewsHubFour years after the introduction of Office 365 for consumers, Microsoft last week said subscriptions to the productivity software had reached nearly 25 million.
Subscribers, however, were harder to find last year than in 2015, according to the numbers Microsoft reported: Additions to Office 365’s rolls were down 62% in 2016 compared to the year before.
During an earnings call with Wall Street analysts last week, CEO Satya Nadella touted revenue increases for the Office products aimed at consumers — which include Office 365 — and of the latter said that the company had, « continued to see an increase in … subscriber base.  »
That it did.
In a filing with the U. S. Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC), Microsoft pegged the number of consumer Office 365 subscriptions in the December quarter at 24.9 million, an increase of 900,000 from the September quarter and 4.3 million more than a year earlier.
Microsoft launched Office 365 for consumers in January 2013. The initial subscription — dubbed « Home Premium » — was a five-user deal that cost $100 annually or $10 monthly. Fifteen months later, Microsoft unveiled a one-user subscription called « Personal » for $70 a year or $7 a month. Since then, Microsoft shortened the original subscription’s name to just « Home; » prices have not changed.
Company executives have never publicly set numeric goals for Office 365 subscriptions. But Microsoft has made no secret about its desire to shift much of its software business model toward recurring payments rather than one-time purchases of « perpetual » licenses, because once bought the software may be used as long as the customer wants.
In each of the last three quarters, Office 365 grew by about 900,000 subscribers, the smallest quarterly increase since early 2014. Prior to the nine-month stretch of 2016, subscribers were accumulating at rates two to three times larger per quarter.
By charting Office 365’s new subscribers using a trailing 12 months — the latest quarter plus the three previous — to eliminate seasonal spikes, the suite’s waxing and waning over the past four years becomes apparent. From its Q1 2013 debut until Q4 2015, Office 365 subscriber growth was always steady, sometimes spectacular.
Subscriber additions peaked in the first quarter of 2015, at 3.2 million, followed by 3 million in the third quarter, providing a foundation for a record 11.4 million new subscribers during the year.
After Q4 2015, however, the trailing 12-month numbers fell, a decline fueled by the plateau of 0.9 million each quarter from the second onward. That resulted in a gain of just 4.3 million subscribers throughout 2016, a reduction of 62% from the year before.
Microsoft has rarely provided information on Office 365 revenue; Computerworld stopped extrapolating sales in 2015 after it became apparent that rounding errors may have skewed the results. Last week, Microsoft only said revenue from the consumer side of Office — a bucket that included not only Office 365 but also the perpetual licenses sold at retail — was up 22% in the December quarter.
The increase, the largest of 2016, was not as stupendous as at first glance, however: The comparable quarter — the fourth of 2015 — saw a revenue decline of 14% from the same period in 2014. Over a two-year span, then, from the December quarter of 2014 to the same period in 2016, the consumer Office revenue climbed by a less impressive 5%.
Additions to the consumer subscription rolls for Office 365 slumped in 2016 to 4.3 million, a 62% decline from the year before.

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Japan, U. S. defense chiefs set to reaffirm bilateral security treaty covers Senkakus

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NewsHubThe Japanese and U. S. defense chiefs will reaffirm during their meeting this week that the countries’ security pact covers defense of the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea that are administered by Japan and claimed by China, Japanese and U. S. government sources said Sunday.
With concern growing that Washington’s commitment could falter under President Donald Trump, Tokyo and Washington will seek to underline the robustness of the security alliance by confirming the Senkakus fall under Article 5 of the Japan-U. S. security treaty, amid China’s growing maritime assertiveness in the region, the sources said.
The uninhabited islands, which are also claimed by Taiwan, have long been a major source of friction between Japan and China. China and Taiwan call the islands Diaoyu and Tiaoyutai, respectively.
U. S. Defense Secretary James Mattis will meet with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo on Friday and with Defense Minister Tomomi Inada on Saturday.
Abe is also set to meet with Trump in Washington on Feb. 10, their first meeting since Trump was inaugurated on Jan. 20. The two held unofficial talks in New York last November shortly after Trump won the U. S. presidential election.
In 2014, Barack Obama became the first U. S. president to publicly state that the Senkakus fall under the security treaty.
Mattis is likely to maintain the Obama administration’s stance on China’s military buildup in disputed waters of the South China Sea and to affirm the strengthening of cooperation on ballistic missile defense to address North Korea’s nuclear and missile development, the sources said.
Last Wednesday, Trump’s nominee for secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, also reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to defending Japan.
“We’ve made a commitment to Japan in terms of a guarantee of their defense,” Tillerson said during his Senate confirmation hearing.
Concern in Japan over ties with the United States has grown since Trump withdrew from the 12-country Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade pact, initiated by his predecessor and championed by Abe, and Trump’s accusation that Japanese trade practices in the automobile sector are “not fair” to U. S. companies.

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© Source: http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/01/29/national/politics-diplomacy/japan-u-s-defense-chiefs-set-reaffirm-bilateral-security-treaty-covers-senkakus/
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Reaktion auf Trump-Dekret: Weltweit Kritik an US-Einreiseverbot

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NewsHubLange war die Kritik hochrangiger Politiker an Trumps Einreiseverbot gegen Bürger einiger mehrheitlich muslimischer Staaten zurückhaltend formuliert. Das hat sich nun geändert. Deutliche Worte kommen aus Großbritannien, Kanada – und von Kanzlerin Merkel.
Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel hält das von der US-Regierung verhängte Einreiseverbot gegen Flüchtlinge und Bürger einiger mehrheitlich muslimischer Staaten für falsch. « Sie ist überzeugt, dass auch der notwendige entschlossene Kampf gegen den Terrorismus es nicht rechtfertigt, Menschen einer bestimmten Herkunft oder eines bestimmten Glaubens unter Generalverdacht zu stellen », erklärte Regierungssprecher Steffen Seibert.
Die Bundesregierung werde « nun prüfen, welche Folgen die Maßnahme der US-Regierung für deutsche Staatsbürger mit doppelter Staatsangehörigkeit hat, und deren Interessen gegebenenfalls gegenüber unseren amerikanischen Partnern vertreten ».
Trump hatte das umstrittene Einreiseverbot gegen Flüchtlinge und Bürger von mehreren mehrheitlich muslimischen Ländern am Freitag per Dekret angeordnet. Mittlerweile verfügte ein Gericht in New York, dass die an Flughäfen in den USA gestrandeten Reisenden aus muslimischen Ländern doch in die Vereinigten Staaten einreisen dürfen, sofern sie ein gültiges Visum oder eine Greencard haben.
Wie Seibert mitteilte, « bedauert » Merkel die Entscheidung von US-Präsident Donald Trump und drückte diese Haltung auch am Samstag in ihrem 45-minütigen Telefonat mit dem neuen Amtsinhaber im Weißen Haus aus.
Die Genfer Flüchtlingskonvention fordere die internationale Staatengemeinschaft auf, Kriegsflüchtlinge aus humanitären Gründen aufzunehmen. « Alle Unterzeichnerstaaten sind dem verpflichtet. Die Bundeskanzlerin hatte diese Politik dem US-Präsidenten in ihrem gestrigen Telefonat erläutert », erklärte Merkels Sprecher.
Trump und Merkel hatten am späten Samstagnachmittag erstmals seit Amtsübernahme des neuen US-Präsidenten am 20. Januar miteinander telefoniert. Dabei hoben sie als gemeinsamen Nenner die « fundamentale Bedeutung » der NATO für die transatlantischen Beziehungen und die Bewahrung von Frieden und Stabilität hervor. Sie bekräftigten zudem die Absicht, « die ohnehin schon ausgezeichneten bilateralen Beziehungen in den nächsten Jahren noch zu vertiefen », wie es in einer gemeinsamen Presseerklärung heißt.
Kritik an dem Dekret Trumps kommt weltweit auch von anderen Politikern. Die britische Premierministerin Theresa May ließ über ihren Sprecher erklären, Großbritannien würde einen solchen Weg nicht einschlagen. Jetzt müsse geprüft werden, welche Auswirkungen der Erlass auf britische Staatsangehörige habe.
May war wegen ihres anfänglichen Schweigens zur Politik Trumps auch in ihrer Konservativen Partei kritisiert worden. Sie hatte zunächst nur erklärt, die Flüchtlingspolitik sei eine Angelegenheit der Regierung in Washington.
Der kanadische Premierminister Justin Trudeau unterstrich, dass sein Land weiterhin Flüchtlinge aufnehmen wolle – unabhängig von ihrer Religionszugehörigkeit. « An alle, die vor Verfolgung, Terror und Krieg flüchten, Kanada wird euch willkommen heißen, ungeachtet eures Glaubens. Vielfalt ist unsere Stärke », twitterte er. Kanada hat seit Dezember 2015 allein 35.000 Flüchtlinge aus Syrien aufgenommen.
Der von dem Dekret betroffene Iran reagierte empört auf die « beleidigende Entscheidung der USA ». Das Außenministerium kündigte an, vorerst ebenso mit US-Bürgern zu verfahren, bis die Maßnahme aufgehoben werde. Auch die Vereinten Nationen äußerten sich besorgt. Es sei zu hoffen, dass der Aufnahmestopp bald wieder aufgehoben werde, sagte UN-Sprecher Stephane Dujarric. Der Schutz von Flüchtlingen sei dringlicher denn je und das US-Programm sei eines der weltweit wichtigsten. Weltweit äußerten Menschenrechtler Empörung.
In einem Interview mit der « Bild am Sonntag » nahm auch CSU-Chef Horst Seehofer zum neuen US-Präsidenten Stellung – und fand lobende Worte für Trump: « Er setzt mit Konsequenz und Geschwindigkeit seine Wahlversprechen Punkt für Punkt um. In Deutschland würden wir da erst mal einen Arbeitskreis einsetzen, dann eine Prüfgruppe und dann noch eine Umsetzungsgruppe.  » Das bedeute zwar ausdrücklich nicht, dass er jede Maßnahme Trumps für richtig halte. Trump sei aber in einer demokratischen, freien Wahl gewählt worden.

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Federer beats Nadal in 5 sets to win Australian Open ‹ Japan Today

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NewsHubMELBOURNE, Australia —
Roger Federer has won his 18th Grand Slam title and put some extra distance on the all-time list between himself and Rafael Nadal, the man he beat 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 in a vintage Australian Open final on Sunday.
It was the 35-year-old Federer’s fifth Australian title, his first at a major since Wimbledon in 2012, and it reversed the status quo against his nemesis, Nadal.
Federer had lost six of the previous eight Grand Slam finals he’d played against Nadal, and had only previously beaten the left-handed Spaniard in 11 of their 34 matches.
Both players were returning from extended layoffs for injuries — Federer the left knee; Nadal the left wrist — and were seeded 17th and ninth respectively.
Nadal remains equal second with Pete Sampras on the all-time list, with the last of his 14 majors coming at Roland Garros in 2014.
After four sets where the momentum swung alternately from one player to the next, the fifth had all the tension and drama that these two players are famous for.
Nadal went up an early break and it seemed as if the injury time-out Federer needed after the fourth set may have been an indicator of things to come.
But the Swiss star rallied, and broke back in a pivotal sixth game and took control in a period when he won 10 straight points.
Nadal saved three break points in the eighth game but lost momentum again when Federer finished off a 26-shot rally — the longest of the match — with a forehand winner down the line.
Consecutive forehand errors gave Federer the pivotal break for 5-3, but Nadal made him work for the very last point.
Serving for the match, Federer had to save two break points with an ace and a forehand winner.
At deuce, he was called for a double-fault but challenged the out call on his second serve. The call was overturned, and he got to play two.
Not long after, he fired an ace to get his second match point and hit a forehand crosscourt winner to finish off.
His celebrations were delayed, though, when Nadal challenged the call. Federer watched the replay on the tournament screen, and leaped for joy when it showed his last shot was in. His 100th match at the Australian Open ended with his fifth title at Melbourne Park.
No two players had met more often in Grand Slam finals in the Open era, and Nadal had previously dominated. But they hadn’t met in a major final since the 2011 French Open, won by Nadal.
Three months ago, they were both on breaks when Federer joined Nadal in Mallorca for the opening of the Spaniard’s tennis academy and the pair joked about ever being able to contend for majors again.
Yet here they were, first Grand Slam tournament of the season, renewing the classic rivalry that saw them dominate tennis a decade ago.
The long-odds final — No. 9 against No. 17 — unfolded after six-time champion Novak Djokovic was shockingly upset by No. 117-ranked Denis Istomin in the second round and top-ranked Andy Murray, a five-time losing finalist in Australia, went out in the fourth round to left-handed serve-volleyer Mischa Zverev.
Federer beat Zverev in the quarterfinals and U. S. Open champion Stan Wawrinka in an all-Swiss semifinal to reach the championship match. The six years between his Australian titles set a record, too, longer than the five years that both Boris Becker and Andre Agassi had between championships in Melbourne.
Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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China auditor says 17.6 billion yuan of funds to fight water pollution misused: Xinhua

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NewsHubThe funds were meant to go toward 397 projects in 18 provinces, with some regions seeing serious failings in enforcing environmental protection laws, said the report.
China’s National Audit Office has told 31 provinces to check use of funds to treat water pollution, Xinhua said.
In December, the audit office said more than 3,000 people had been punished and 160 billion yuan in funds « rectified » during an audit of the 2015 budget. In August, China’s top economic planner said it would audit 1.8 trillion yuan in special construction funds.
(Reporting by Elias Glenn; Editing by Stephen Powell)

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Trump Hosts First Official Movie Screening in White House Theater Amid Protests

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NewsHub12:30 PM PST 1/29/2017
by
Jackie Strause
,
Pamela McClintock
After a night where the effects of his immigration ban reverberated across the nation and world, President Donald Trump spent Sunday afternoon at the White House with family and friends watching Finding Dory , a film about a separated family who travels the ocean in hopes of reuniting.
The White House confirmed the 3 p.m. ET movie screening was of the Pixar and Disney animated blockbuster. An entry on Trump’s official press schedule indicated a movie screening would be held in the family theater.
Hollywood has made its movies available to the White House dating back to the early 1900s should the president’s staff want to see a particular title. The first film to be shown inside the White House was 1915’s The Birth of a Nation , which was screened by former President Woodrow Wilson. A source says the Trump White House has also asked to see the year-end comedy Why Him? , starring James Franco and Bryan Cranston.
The timing of Trump’s Sunday afternoon screening drew attention on social media, given the outcry and protests that swept the nation Saturday night and early Sunday morning after the president’s immigration ban went into effect. Trump’s executive order blocked U. S. entry for citizens of seven predominantly Muslim nations — Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen — for 90 days. It also suspended entry of all refugees for 120 days and barred Syrian refugees indefinitely.
Despite an order from a federal New York judge temporarily halting the deportation of detained travelers with valid visas from the listed countries, the Department of Homeland Security announced Sunday that it « will continue to enforce all of President Trump’s Executive Orders in a manner that ensures the safety and security of the American people.  »
Protests continued Sunday afternoon, taking place as Trump’s screening was underway.
Finding Dory stars Ellen DeGeneres, who returned to voice the titular, forgetful blue fish from 2003’s Finding Nemo. Dory, who suffers from short-term memory loss, traverses the ocean in search for her long lost parents with the help of Nemo (voiced by Hayden Rolence in the sequel) and his father Marlin (voiced by the returning Albert Brooks). The sequel landed the biggest domestic opening of all time for an animated title with $136.2 million when it premiered this summer.
Judd Apatow replied to tweets about the Dory screening by saying Trump « relates to Ellen’s character who has no attention span.  »
After reports of the screening, DeGeneres addressed the ban in two tweets.
« For me, America is great because of all the people who came here. Not in spite of them, » she tweeted, using the hashtag #NoBan. She then added, « P. S. My grandparents were immigrants. The woman making us pizza right now is Muslim. And I’m grateful for all of them.  »
Later on Sunday afternoon, the White House released a statement from Trump, defending the immigration order and taking aim at the media’s coverage of the ban.
“America is a proud nation of immigrants and we will continue to show compassion to those fleeing oppression, but we will do so while protecting our own citizens and border, » read the statement. « America has always been the land of the free and home of the brave. We will keep it free and keep it safe, as the media knows, but refuses to say. My policy is similar to what President Obama did in 2011 when he banned visas for refugees from Iraq for six months. The seven countries named in the Executive Order are the same countries previously identified by the Obama administration as sources of terror.  »
The statement stressed that the order is not a Muslim ban.
« To be clear, this is not a Muslim ban, as the media is falsely reporting, » Trump said in the staement. « This is not about religion — this is about terror and keeping our country safe. There are over 40 different countries worldwide that are majority Muslim that are not affected by this order. We will again be issuing visas to all countries once we are sure we have reviewed and implemented the most secure policies over the next 90 days. I have tremendous feeling for the people involved in this horrific humanitarian crisis in Syria. My first priority will always be to protect and serve our country, but as President I will find ways to help all those who are suffering.”
Jan. 29, 5:40 p.m. ET: Updated with White House statement.

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Russia grounds Proton space rockets because of faulty engines

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NewsHubJan. 29 (UPI) — Russia has grounded all Proton-M rockets for 3 1/2 months because of flaws in the engines, Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin announced.
Last December, an unmanned Soyuz-U cargo ship carrying supplies for the International Space Station broke up in the atmosphere over Siberia about six minutes after it left the launchpad. Destroyed were 2.6 tons of food, fuel and other supplies.
Some important components in the second and third stages of the rocket may have been switched out by workers during the construction process at a plant in Voronezh, which builds the Proton-M and Soyuz rocket engines, according to a report.
« Instead of using materials containing precious metals …. less heat-resistant components were used, which are normally used for other engine models, » says a report published in the Kommersant paper.
On Saturday, Rogozin visited the Voronezh plant and called for an investigation.
Workers had evidently been directed to « switch technology and documentation, » Rogozin said.
« All those responsible for switching document and technology would be harshly punished, » Rogozin said. « Three Proton-M rockets will be dissembled and their second and third-degree engines replaced.  »
Last week, the head of the Voronezh factory resigned « for reasons of unsatisfactory work and product quality.  »
Russia is the only country capable of launching astronauts to the ISS.
Last June, the Proton-M rocket launched an Intelsat 31/DLA-2 communications satellite from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

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Trump immigration ban means a war with tech

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NewsHubThe decision by President Donald Trump to impose a broad immigration ban on seven countries may have an impact he didn’t foresee.
The ban, a 90-day moratorium on admissions and re-entry in the United States unveiled on Friday, isn’t about H-1B visa-holders specifically. And it doesn’t grow out of the his voiced concerns about the use of that visa to displace U. S. workers. Instead it affects tourists, business and student visas. Those with permanent residency, or green cards, are also affected.
Trump’s ban, issued through an executive order, affects all visa types in seven countries: Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. The action is ostensibly intended as an anti-terrorism measure. It targets some, but not all, Muslim-majority countries; Saudi Arabia, for instance, is not on the list.
Aside from inflaming civil liberties groups, sparking court fights and spontaneous demonstrations last night at various U. S. airports, the move is also giving the tech industry a renewed voice and a rallying point on immigration. This comes at the same time the Trump administration is expected to begin pushing for H-1B reforms.
Among those speaking out was Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, whose Twitter feed included a steady stream of retweets critical of Trump’s action.
« The Executive Order’s humanitarian and economic impact is real and upsetting. We benefit from what refugees and immigrants bring to the U. S., » wrote Dorsey, and « This EO goes against our principles.  »
The tech leaders looked beyond the seven-country ban to make a broad push for immigration reform. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg urged Trump to help the « 750,000 Dreamers benefit from the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program that allows them to live and work legally in the US. I hope the President and his team keep these protections in place.  »
A federal court ruled late Saturday that the U. S. could not deport citizens of the banned countries who had already arrived in the U. S. It was prompted by a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union.
Trump’s move was put into place so fast it literally affected people in transit.
« This was done with almost no notice, » said Carl Shusterman, a Los Angeles-based immigration attorney. He said his office received a leaked draft of the executive order last Tuesday and began advising people about what was in the pipeline.
« I think this is causing a lot of chaos for really no reason at all, » said Shusterman.
Trump’s order prompted tech firms to scramble to locate and notify affected employees, and to issue statements over the weekend.
« As an immigrant and as a CEO, I’ve both experienced and seen the positive impact that immigration has on our company, for the country, and for the world, » wrote Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella in a posting on LinkedIn on Saturday. « We will continue to advocate on this important topic.  »
Microsoft said it has identified 76 employees who are citizens of the seven countries who have a U. S. visa and are affected. But it also said there may be other affected employees who have green cards.
The seven countries cited by the Trump administration have had no role in the ongoing H-1B visa debate. In 2014, nearly 70% of all H-1B visas were issued to people born in India, according to U. S. data.
Ron Hira, associate professor of public policy at Howard University, ran an analysis of the visas issued in the 2013 fiscal year alone and found a total of 1,220 H-1B visas, new visas or renewals, from workers in all seven countries.
In that year, Iran had the largest number of visa holders, with 810. It was followed by Syria, with 280; Libya, with 53; and Iraq, at 46. The Sudan accounted for 18 visas; Yemen, 11; and Somalia, 2.
In 2013, Microsoft was the top employer of H-1B-visa workers from the seven countries, with 31. It was followed by Qualcomm at 21, and Google at 15, according to Hira.
« The Iran numbers suggest to me that it is foreign students who graduated from U. S. universities » as well as having family ties in the U. S., he said.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry, in a statement carried by Iranian media, called the U. S. move « insulting » and an « open affront » and said it is considering a reciprocal response.
The Trump order also has broad impacts.
« If a company wants to hire a worker from one of those countries, they won’t be able to get a visa for at least 90 days, » said Stephen Yale-Loehr, a professor of immigration law practice at Cornell University. « Foreign national employees on work visas who are temporarily overseas may not be able to return.  »
The Computing Research Association, in a statement, warned that the Trump order « may also discourage foreign-born researchers from bringing their talents to the U. S. in the future, which would have significantly detrimental impacts on our national competitiveness. « 

© Source: http://www.computerworld.com/article/3162707/it-industry/trump-immigration-ban-means-a-war-with-tech.html
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6 Chinese tourists missing after boat sinks off Malaysia

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NewsHubJan. 29 (UPI) — Three people died, six are missing and nearly two dozen were rescued after a catamaran carrying Chinese tourists sank in Malaysian waters, officials said Sunday.
The boat carried 31 people, including 28 tourists from China, and was sailing Saturday from Kota Kinabalu to Pulau Mengalum, a popular tourist island, some 37 miles west to Kota Kinabalu, according to the Chinese consulate in Kota Kinabalu, the state capital.
Two crew members managed to make their way to land to seek assistance, Malaysian officials said.
Adm. Ahmad Kamarulzaman Ahmad Badaruddin, chief of the Malaysian navy, described the outcome as the « best news in a worst-case scenario.  »
The consulate said the survivors were rescued by several vessels and were sent to the nearby Labuan island for medical assistance.
Chinese President Xi Jinping asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Chinese Embassy in Malaysia to maintain close contact and cooperation with authorities of Malaysia.
« According to the skipper, the boat was ‘broken’ after being hit by strong waves, and sank. All the tourists were tied together and were carried away by the currents, » Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency director-general Ahmad Puzi Ab Kahar told a news conference in Kota Kinabalu.
Ahmad Puzi said authorities were investigating whether the boat should have been used as a tourist vessel. The Sabah government allows catamarans to carry a maximum of 12 people, including the crew and skipper.
« The weather conditions were also quite bad with very high waves, which raises the question as to whether the boat should have gone out to sea, » Malaysia’s National Security Minister Shahidan Kassim said.
The navy, maritime police and air force were involved in the search, which covered 400 nautical miles.
The incident occurred during the Chinese New Year celebration period.

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Schulz jetzt offiziell SPD-Kanzlerkandidat

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NewsHubJetzt ist es offiziell: Die SPD zieht mit Martin Schulz als Kanzlerkandidat in die Bundestagswahl 2017. Die Entscheidung im SPD-Vorstand soll nach Berichten mehrere Nachrichtenagenturen einstimmig gefallen sein.
Die SPD zieht mit Martin Schulz als Kanzlerkandidat in die Bundestagswahl 2017. Der Parteivorstand nominierte den Europa-Politiker einstimmig als Herausforderer von Angela Merkel (CDU), wie mehrere Agenturen aus Teilnehmerkreisen erfuhren. Auf einem Sonderparteitag voraussichtlich im März soll der 61-Jährige förmlich zum Spitzenkandidaten und Parteichef gewählt werden.
In Kürze wird Schulz eine Rede halten, die Sie bei tagesschau.de im Livestream verfolgen können. Der 61-Jährige hatte bereits angekündigt, ohne Koalitionsaussage in den Wahlkampf zu gehen.
Die SPD-Linke fordert, dass Schulz stärker auf die Parteiseele Rücksicht nimmt und kooperativer agiert als der Noch-Vorsitzende Gabriel. Der Chef des mächtigen linken Flügels in der SPD-Bundestagsfraktion, Matthias Miersch, sagte der Deutschen Presse-Agentur: « Ich bin mir sicher, dass Martin Schulz einen kooperativen Führungsstil leben wird: Zuhören, abwägen und erst dann entscheiden. « 
Die Jungsozialisten in der SPD wollen Schulz dazu bewegen, eine weitere Große Koalition nach der Bundestagswahl am 24. September auszuschließen. Rot-Rot-Grün müsse eine Option für die SPD sein, sagte die Juso-Vorsitzende Johanna Uekermann der « Frankfurter Allgemeinen Sonntagszeitung ».
Gabriel hatte am Dienstag eine personelle Neuaufstellung der SPD für das Wahljahr verkündet. Überraschend erklärte er seinen Rückzug vom Parteivorsitz sowie seinen Verzicht auf die Kanzlerkandidatur und schlug Schulz für beide Posten vor. Der bisherige Wirtschaftsminister Gabriel rückte auf den Posten von Außenminister Frank-Walter Steinmeier (SPD), der am 12. Februar zum Bundespräsidenten gewählt werden soll. Das Wirtschaftsressort wird fortan von Gabriels bisheriger Staatssekretärin Brigitte Zypries (SPD) geführt.
Die Bundestagswahl findet am 24. September statt.

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