Air Force F-35 Version Cleared for Combat - prepared for global threats

On 2 August 2016 at Joint Base Langley-Eustis,Virginia,US Air Force General Hawk Carlisle,commander,Air Combat Command,declared the Air Force's F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter to be combat ready.The general said the aircraft met all criteria for declaring initial operational capability:
airmen trained,manned and equipped to conduct basic close air support,interdiction and limited suppression/destruction of enemy air defences in a contested environment with an operational squadron of 12-24 aircraft;
the ability to deploy and conduct operational missions using program of record weapons and mission systems;
and having all logistics and operational elements in place.
The F-35A will be the most dominant aircraft in our inventory because it can go where our legacy aircraft cannot and provide the capabilities our commanders need on the modern battlefield,General Carlisle added.*
Besides basic combat readiness,the aircraft provides great command and control functions through fused sensors,and it will provide pilots with unprecedented situational awareness of the battle space that will be more extensive than any single seat platform in existence,officials point out.*
Bringing the F-35A to initial combat readiness is a testament to our phenomenal airmen and the outstanding support of the Joint Program Office and our enterprise partners,according to Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James.This important milestone for our fighter force ensures the US,along with our allies and international partners,remains prepared to deter,deny and defeat the full spectrum of growing threats around the globe.*
The Air Force's first operational squadron of F-35As is the 388th Fighter Wing,Hill Air Force Base,Utah.They will fly and maintain the fifth generation fighter with Air Force Reservists from the 419th Fighter Wing at Hill.*
Lockheed Martin is the prime contractor for the F-35 and its three variants for the Air Force (F-35A),US Marine Corps (F-35B) and US Navy (F-35C),as well as allies and partners expressing an interest such as Great Britain,Australia and the Netherlands.*
Lockheed Martin (LMT)

Pinterest Looking To Grow User Base and Revenue

Photo curating and sharing platform Pinterest is hoping to expand its user base in Europe.The social media company is opening offices in the Netherlands,Spain,Italy and Sweden this year.
In another big move,the privately held firm is taking a big step in monetisation of the platform with the "buyable pins" concept.Now users will be able to buy depicted products directly from the site by clicking on small blue "Buy It" tabs on the pins,as the platform's photos are called.
We're very excited about products being brought directly into the Pinterest ecosystem,said Satish Kanwar of Shopify.Pinterest is our second largest referrer,but the first in value of purchases made.*
Pinterest users often use the site to shop for products or get ideas for projects,but to this point have had to go offsite to actually make a purchase.The company is five years old and valued at 11 billion dollars.Pinterest will not get a cut of each buyable pin transaction,but will offer vendors the option of paying for a promoted pin which is shown to users with a particular profile.Similarly,Google is adding a buy button to search results.
More than two million products will initially be offered on buyable pins by the likes of retailers such as Macy's,Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus.You can pay with ApplePay or credit card.Buyable pins will launch on the Pinterest iOS app for US users this month,then be available on Android and desktop later this year.
Pinterest has strong appeal to those looking for new furniture and decorating ideas,fashion,wedding plans and baby products,as well as those interested in curating photos that reflect their interest in any number of topics,from art history to sports.
Successfully monetising this growing and distinctive platform will point it in the direction of becoming a public company.

Ladies European Tour Concludes in Dubai With a Chinese Win

The Ladies European Tour has ended its season with the Omega Dubai Ladies Masters at Emirates Golf Club in Dubai,UAE.American Lexi Thompson yielded her title to China's Shanshan Feng on Sunday and her final round 21 under par 69.Dewi Claire Schreeful of the Netherlands was second with a 16 under par 69;third place on the leader board was shared by Caroline Masson of Germany and Becky Brewerton of Wales.
Carlota Ciganda of Spain won the Handa Order of Merit for the season with her earnings total of 251,289.95 euros.She was also named Rookie of the Year.
The tournament was played out against the looming backdrop of the ultramodern skyline of the desert city.
Following her win,Swiss watchmaking titan Omega named Feng a brand ambassador,adding her to a list including Greg Norman,Sergio Garcia and Michelle Wie.Fiancial terms were not disclosed.
In a statement,Omega said it is proud that this outstanding competitor,whose smile lights up every course she plays on,has joined its family of golfing brand ambassadors.The brand looks forward to celebrating with Shanshan Feng each time she adds to her already impressive list of victories and achievements on the golf course.
Besides Omega,tournament sponsors included Gulf News,Drydocks World,Maritime World,Mercedes Benz,Emirates NBD and CNN.

Executive Chairman:The Unreflected Risks

Three to four weeks ago,it just seemed to me the macro environment seemed to be stabilising,but now it seems a series of old and big question marks have returned,said Roger Altman,co-founder and Executive Chairman of Evercore Partners.These are 1.Europe;2.a weak U.S. recovery;and 3.the fiscal cliff in the U.S.Perception in so many cases is reality.Today the perception is,the Euro crisis is again front and center,with the political tumult in France and the Netherlands,and the PMI out this morning.The crisis is boiling up again.At the same time,the U.S. GDP continues to be profoundly weak.There are two exogenous factors that could be destabilising:1.Iran;and 2.an outright implosion in Europe.Neither one is playing through the markets right now,but they are big risks,Mr.Altman believes. Mr.Altman was an Assistant Secretary of the Treasury from 1977-81 and Deputy Secretary from 1993-95.He has an MBA from the University of Chicago,and serves as a trustee of New York-Presbyterian Hospital and Vice-Chairman of the Board of the American Museum of Natural History. Evercore Partners is a global independent investment banking advisory and wealth management firm. Evercore Partners(EVR)