Rolls-Royce is planning to release the first of its fleet of crewless ships by 2020.
The engineering giant is working with government-backed groups across northern Europe on the autonomous vessels.
The company estimates that the move could cut sea transport costs by as much as 20%.
Rolls-Royce vice president of innovation Oskar Levander said tugboats and ferries will be developed first, ahead of cargo vessels which will sail across international waters.
He said: "The development will start in a few countries, and these flag states will give the vessel permission to operate before we have international regulations in place."
Major shipping firms are expected to adopt the technology in the hope it will boost profits.
However, unions have expressed concerns about the possible impact on sea-faring workers.
A spokesman for the international maritime union Nautilus said: "The pace of change is a challenge to safety and there are also many unanswered questions about the legal implications of the way in which operational and management responsibilities are being taken away from ships staff.
"We are concerned that technology is seen simply as a way to cut jobs and cut costs."
Autonomous ships also present challenges for insurers who have to consider the new types of risks that they will face.
Some analysts believe that with no crew to protect from piracy, autonomous ships will reduce demand for guards - an industry that has been booming in recent years.
International shipping expert Jonathan Moss, from law firm DWF, said: "The maritime industry as a whole may suffer in terms of employment levels.
"Similarly, these security guards have created a lot of opportunity for Lloyd's of London and bespoke insurance products that insure them."
Rolls-Royce maintains that crewless ships will be both safer than existing vessels and that they will lead to the creation of more jobs on land.
The company says it is embarking on major research projects in Britain and Singapore - and that it believes the development of autonomous ships will increase demand in areas such as cybersecurity.
A Bank of England study in 2015 suggested that up to 15 million jobs in the UK could eventually be lost to automation, with administrative, clerical and production roles most at risk.
Sunday, February 12, 2017
Erdogan: Turkish troops enter ISIL-held al-Bab
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday said Turkish troops and their Syrian rebel allies have entered the centre of the ISIL bastion al-Bab, saying its capture was just a "matter of time".
"Al-Bab is now besieged from all fronts ... Our forces entered the centre" with Turkish-backed Syrian rebels, Erdogan told journalists in Istanbul on Sunday before leaving for a tour of Gulf countries.
Erdogan said it was "only a matter of time" before the allied forces took full control of the flashpoint town.
"Daesh forces have begun leaving al-Bab completely," he said, using the Arabic acronym for the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant group.
Turkish forces and allied rebels on Saturday entered al-Bab to drive ISIL fighters from the flashpoint northern town, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
The Turkish army launched an ambitious campaign inside Syria on August 24, codenamed Euphrates Shield, to clean its border from ISIL fighters and stop the advance of Kurdish militia.
But the clashes in al-Bab have proved the toughest in the campaign, with Turkish military fatalities surging.
One Turkish soldier was killed and three others wounded in clashes with fighters on Sunday, the private Dogan news agency reported, citing military sources.
The latest casualty raised the number of Turkish troops killed in the Syria offensive to 67.
The three injured troops were evacuated from al-Bab and taken to hospitals in Turkey's Kilis and Gaziantep provinces near the Syrian border, Dogan reported.
Al-Bab is the armed group's last stronghold in the northern province of Aleppo and is also being targeted by regime forces.
"Al-Bab is now besieged from all fronts ... Our forces entered the centre" with Turkish-backed Syrian rebels, Erdogan told journalists in Istanbul on Sunday before leaving for a tour of Gulf countries.
Erdogan said it was "only a matter of time" before the allied forces took full control of the flashpoint town.
"Daesh forces have begun leaving al-Bab completely," he said, using the Arabic acronym for the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant group.
Turkish forces and allied rebels on Saturday entered al-Bab to drive ISIL fighters from the flashpoint northern town, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
The Turkish army launched an ambitious campaign inside Syria on August 24, codenamed Euphrates Shield, to clean its border from ISIL fighters and stop the advance of Kurdish militia.
But the clashes in al-Bab have proved the toughest in the campaign, with Turkish military fatalities surging.
One Turkish soldier was killed and three others wounded in clashes with fighters on Sunday, the private Dogan news agency reported, citing military sources.
The latest casualty raised the number of Turkish troops killed in the Syria offensive to 67.
The three injured troops were evacuated from al-Bab and taken to hospitals in Turkey's Kilis and Gaziantep provinces near the Syrian border, Dogan reported.
Al-Bab is the armed group's last stronghold in the northern province of Aleppo and is also being targeted by regime forces.
Hitler impersonator hunted by Austrian authorities
Austrian authorities are investigating reports of a man appearing in public as Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler, complete with the distinctive moustache, haircut and clothing.
The man, thought to be in his late 20s, has been seen at Hitler's birthplace Braunau am Inn and was spotted in a local bookshop browsing through magazines about World War II.
Prosecutors have confirmed an investigation is under way, and said the man had identified himself in a local bar as Harald Hitler.
On at least one occasion, he was photographed in front of the house where Hitler was born, in what was then part of Austria-Hungary in 1889.
One resident of the town posted a picture of the man on Facebook, adding: "I have often seen this gentleman in Braunau and wonder if this means something."
Austria's parliament voted in December to buy the three-storey house where Hitler grew up, which the government has rented since 1972 to control how it is used.
Glorifying Hitler or the Nazis is a criminal offence in Austria, which Nazi Germany annexed in 1938.
The man, thought to be in his late 20s, has been seen at Hitler's birthplace Braunau am Inn and was spotted in a local bookshop browsing through magazines about World War II.
Prosecutors have confirmed an investigation is under way, and said the man had identified himself in a local bar as Harald Hitler.
On at least one occasion, he was photographed in front of the house where Hitler was born, in what was then part of Austria-Hungary in 1889.
One resident of the town posted a picture of the man on Facebook, adding: "I have often seen this gentleman in Braunau and wonder if this means something."
Austria's parliament voted in December to buy the three-storey house where Hitler grew up, which the government has rented since 1972 to control how it is used.
Glorifying Hitler or the Nazis is a criminal offence in Austria, which Nazi Germany annexed in 1938.
'World's heaviest woman' flown by cargo plane to India for surgery
An Egyptian woman who weighs 500kg (78st) has been flown to India in a cargo plane so she can begin a series of weight reduction surgeries.
After flying from Alexandria to Mumbai, Eman Ahmed Abd El Aty was transported to Saifee Hospital in a truck, and a crane was used to carefully lift her bed into the building.
The bedridden 36-year-old, who was diagnosed with elephantiasis at birth, is going to be under observation for a month before she is operated on by renowned bariatric surgeon Dr Muffazal Lakdawala.
Ms Abd El Aty has been described by Egyptian media as the world's heaviest woman, and she gave a thumbs up as she was admitted to the hospital.
Her round-the-world trip for treatment reportedly marks the first time she has left her home in 25 years.
After flying from Alexandria to Mumbai, Eman Ahmed Abd El Aty was transported to Saifee Hospital in a truck, and a crane was used to carefully lift her bed into the building.
The bedridden 36-year-old, who was diagnosed with elephantiasis at birth, is going to be under observation for a month before she is operated on by renowned bariatric surgeon Dr Muffazal Lakdawala.
Ms Abd El Aty has been described by Egyptian media as the world's heaviest woman, and she gave a thumbs up as she was admitted to the hospital.
Her round-the-world trip for treatment reportedly marks the first time she has left her home in 25 years.
US '100%' behind Japan after N Korea missile launch
President Donald Trump has said the US stands fully behind Japan in the aftermath of North Korea's latest missile launch.
"I just want everybody to understand, and fully know, that the United States of America is behind Japan, our great ally, 100%," Mr Trump said at a news conference with Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Mr Abe denounced the launch as "absolutely intolerable".
The missile - launched at around 7.55am local time from Banghyon air base in the western province of North Pyongan Province - flew about 310 miles east towards the Sea of Japan before it dropped into water, the South Korean defence ministry said.
It is the first time the isolated state has tested such a device since Mr Trump took office.
"It is believed that today's missile launch... is aimed at drawing global attention to the North by boasting its nuclear and missile capabilities," the South's defence ministry said in a statement.
"It is also believed that it was an armed provocation to test the response from the new US administration under President Trump."
The Pentagon said the projectile was a medium- or intermediate-range ballistic missile.
The launch never posed a threat to North America, it added, but did not state whether it believed the launch had been a success or failure.
The South Korean military said it suspected the North might have been testing a intermediate-range Musudan missile.
Last October, North Korea test-fired Musudan missiles twice from the same air base.
The North has conducted two nuclear tests and a number of missile-related tests at an unprecedented rate since early last year.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un said in his New Year speech that the country was close to test-launching an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) and state media have said such a launch could come at any time.
But President Trump shot back on Twitter, saying "It won't happen".
The move prompted a vow of an "overwhelming" response from US Defence Secretary James Mattis when he travelled to South Korea earlier this month.
The North has conducted two nuclear tests and a number of missile-related tests at an unprecedented rate since early last year.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un said in his New Year speech that the country was close to test-launching an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) and state media have said such a launch could come at any time.
But President Trump shot back on Twitter, saying "It won't happen".
The move prompted a vow of an "overwhelming" response from US Defence Secretary James Mattis when he travelled to South Korea earlier this month.
The latest missile test comes after Mr Trump assured Mr Abe, who has been on a visit to the US, that Washington was committed to the security of its key Asian ally.
"We will work together to promote our shared interests, of which we have many, in the region, including freedom from navigation and defending against the North Korean missile and nuclear threat, both of which I consider a very, very high priority," Mr Trump said on Friday.
"I just want everybody to understand, and fully know, that the United States of America is behind Japan, our great ally, 100%," Mr Trump said at a news conference with Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Mr Abe denounced the launch as "absolutely intolerable".
The missile - launched at around 7.55am local time from Banghyon air base in the western province of North Pyongan Province - flew about 310 miles east towards the Sea of Japan before it dropped into water, the South Korean defence ministry said.
It is the first time the isolated state has tested such a device since Mr Trump took office.
"It is believed that today's missile launch... is aimed at drawing global attention to the North by boasting its nuclear and missile capabilities," the South's defence ministry said in a statement.
"It is also believed that it was an armed provocation to test the response from the new US administration under President Trump."
The Pentagon said the projectile was a medium- or intermediate-range ballistic missile.
The launch never posed a threat to North America, it added, but did not state whether it believed the launch had been a success or failure.
The South Korean military said it suspected the North might have been testing a intermediate-range Musudan missile.
Last October, North Korea test-fired Musudan missiles twice from the same air base.
The North has conducted two nuclear tests and a number of missile-related tests at an unprecedented rate since early last year.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un said in his New Year speech that the country was close to test-launching an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) and state media have said such a launch could come at any time.
But President Trump shot back on Twitter, saying "It won't happen".
The move prompted a vow of an "overwhelming" response from US Defence Secretary James Mattis when he travelled to South Korea earlier this month.
The North has conducted two nuclear tests and a number of missile-related tests at an unprecedented rate since early last year.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un said in his New Year speech that the country was close to test-launching an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) and state media have said such a launch could come at any time.
But President Trump shot back on Twitter, saying "It won't happen".
The move prompted a vow of an "overwhelming" response from US Defence Secretary James Mattis when he travelled to South Korea earlier this month.
The latest missile test comes after Mr Trump assured Mr Abe, who has been on a visit to the US, that Washington was committed to the security of its key Asian ally.
"We will work together to promote our shared interests, of which we have many, in the region, including freedom from navigation and defending against the North Korean missile and nuclear threat, both of which I consider a very, very high priority," Mr Trump said on Friday.
Saturday, February 11, 2017
Brazil state's police reject accord to end strike
The police force in Brazil's southeastern state of Espirito Santo has rejected a return-to-work agreement aimed at ending a strike that has paralysed several cities and led to an outburst of crime and violence in which more than 130 people have reportedly died over the last week.
The state government announced on Friday that the police officers' union had agreed to end the walkout, which is over wages and work conditions, and said it would drop charges against officers indicted for allegedly participating in the strike, which is illegal for Brazil's so-called Military Police to carry out.
But Gustavo Tenorio, a spokesman for the Espirito Santo Public Safety Department, told the Associated Press news agency on Saturday that the agreement was rejected by those manning the barricades and that the military police officers have refused to go back to work.
That left the state reliant on federal troops, including both members of the military and the national guard, who have been patrolling the streets of several cities since early this week.
Drop in homicides
Raul Jungmann, Brazil's defence minister, who visited Espirito Santo on Saturday said that life was beginning to return to normal now that more than 3,000 federal troops are patrolling the streets.
Jungmann said that, since the troops arrived, looting and break-ins have stopped. He also said there had been a reduction in homicides.
The state has seen an extraordinary wave of violence in the last week, and the union representing civil police officers says 137 people have been killed since military police stopped patrolling.
The state government has not released a death toll.
The state government announced on Friday that the police officers' union had agreed to end the walkout, which is over wages and work conditions, and said it would drop charges against officers indicted for allegedly participating in the strike, which is illegal for Brazil's so-called Military Police to carry out.
But Gustavo Tenorio, a spokesman for the Espirito Santo Public Safety Department, told the Associated Press news agency on Saturday that the agreement was rejected by those manning the barricades and that the military police officers have refused to go back to work.
That left the state reliant on federal troops, including both members of the military and the national guard, who have been patrolling the streets of several cities since early this week.
Drop in homicides
Raul Jungmann, Brazil's defence minister, who visited Espirito Santo on Saturday said that life was beginning to return to normal now that more than 3,000 federal troops are patrolling the streets.
Jungmann said that, since the troops arrived, looting and break-ins have stopped. He also said there had been a reduction in homicides.
The state has seen an extraordinary wave of violence in the last week, and the union representing civil police officers says 137 people have been killed since military police stopped patrolling.
The state government has not released a death toll.
North Korea reportedly test fires missile, challenging US
SEOUL, South Korea – North Korea launched a missile into its eastern sea on Sunday, according to the South Korean military. The U.S. military detected the test and is assessing the launch, a U.S. defense official told Reuters on Saturday.
U.S. President Donald Trump has been briefed on the missile launched by North Korea, and the White House is continuing to monitor the situation, a White House official said on Saturday according to Reuters.
"We are aware of the missile launch by North Korea. The President has been briefed and we are continuing to closely monitor the situation," the official said.
A spokesperson for the Ukrainian mission to the United Nations, Oleg Nikolenko, told Fox News the following:
"We are closely following the situation with the reported missile launch by DPRK. So far, there is no request for an urgent SC meeting. But everything is possible for tomorrow."
The launch is a likely effort to advance its weapons program and is the first since Donald Trump became president.
Meanwhile, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga has told reporters the missile test-fired by North Korea did not hit Japanese territorial seas. Suga said that it was an "act of provocation," happening right after the planned meeting between Japan's president and President Trump.
Suga also indicated that Japan will make a strong protest against the North's test launch through diplomatic channels with China.
South Korea's Yonhap news agency says that the Japanese government confirmed that the missile fell in seas between the Korean Peninsula and Japan.
The South's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that the projectile was fired from an area in the country's western region around Banghyon, North Pyongan Province, which is where South Korean officials have said the country test launched its powerful mid-range missile Musudan on Oct. 15 and 20.
The South Korean military called it North Korea's "show of force" against the hard-line stance of the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump on Pyongyang, according to Reuters.
An official from Seoul's Defense Ministry says it isn't clear whether the projectile was a ballistic missile. The official didn't want to be named, citing office rules.
North Korea has attempted 24 missile launches and two nuclear tests this year, including eight launches of the Musudan missile, which can be fired from concealed road-mobile vehicles. The most recent attempt to launch an intermediate-range ballistic missile, which failed, was within hours of a U.S. presidential debate in October.
Four of North Korea's five nuclear tests took place during the Obama administration. In June of 2016, North Korea successfully fired a Musudan, which landed 250 miles away in the Sea of Japan.
Kim Dong-yeop, an analyst at the Institute for Far Eastern Studies in Seoul, said that the projectile could be a Musudan or a similar rocket designed to test engines for an intercontinental ballistic missile that could hit the U.S. mainland.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said in his annual New Year's address that the North's preparations for launching an intercontinental ballistic missile have "reached the final stage."
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