Maruti unveils upgraded Ignis

Fulfils the SUV-like, dominant road presence criteria: MD

Maruti Suzuki on Friday unveiled the upgraded version its hatchback Ignis at the Auto Expo 2020.

“Ignis enjoys a special place in the Maruti Suzuki NEXA portfolio. It has been appreciated by the customers for its efficient drivability and spacious interiors,” Kenichi Ayukawa, MD & CEO, Maruti Suzuki India said.

Mr. Ayukawa added that the company had recognised an increasing customer preference for feature-loaded cars that had SUV-like high seating position and dominant road presence and that the new Ignis was all set to fulfil this latent need. The new Ignis is built on Suzuki’s 5th generation Heartect platform. It will come with dual front airbags as a standard fitment, across its full range of seven variants. It is powered by 1.2 litre BS-VI compliant petrol engine and would be offered with two new vibrant colours — Lucent Orange and Turquoise Blue — in addition to the existing colour palette. Mr. Ayukawa said Ignis, of which the company has sold over 1.1 lakh units since launch in 2017, was among the first few models to be compliant for frontal offset, side impact and yet-to-be introduced pedestrian safety regulations in India.

With its BS-VI compliant engine, tough SUV stance and ease of driving, the new Ignis was sure to bring more excitement in the market, he added. The Ignis was first launched in the Japan market in February 2016 and later introduced to other global markets.

Boeing Delivers First Super Hornet SLM Jet To US Navy

Boeing (BA) has delivered the first upgraded F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet to the U.S. Navy under the Service Life Modification (SLM) program, the company said.

Boeing intends to deliver the second jet by the end of the month and the third in April.

The initial Super Hornets delivered from SLM will extend the service life from 6,000 to 7,500 flight hours. Future modification plans in the early 2020s will enable the jets to fly 10,000 hours and incorporate the new Block III capabilities.

“SLM is going to provide a critical resource for the Navy to re-capitalize on long-serving aircraft to return them to the fleet in a near new condition,” said Capt. Stephen May, PMA-265 co-lead for E/F/G Air Vehicles. “It will reduce burden on our maintainers, our supply system and our depot level assets within the enterprise.”

There are now 15 Super Hornets in SLM on production lines in St. Louis and San Antonio. It takes 18 months to complete modifications on an F/A-18, although that time will be driven down to one year as the SLM progresses. Boeing will deliver five more Super Hornets this year.

The Block III conversion will include improved network capability, conformal fuel tanks, and an advanced cockpit system.

Additional upgrades will include signature improvements and an enhanced communication system. The upgrades will add extra life and new capabilities to the F/A-18.

French soldiers kill more than 30 Islamist militants in Mali: army

PARIS (Reuters) – French soldiers killed more than 30 Islamist militants in Mali in three operations on Thursday and Friday, France’s army said.

The operations targeted al Qaeda and Islamic State-linked groups, the army added in a statement.

B.C. judge orders City of Surrey to stop handing out tickets to Uber drivers

The world’s largest ridesharing company has picked up a big win in B.C. Supreme Court.

Justice Veronica Jackson ruled on Friday that the City of Surrey can no longer issue bylaw fines to Uber drivers operating in the city. Bylaw officers have issued dozens of $500 tickets to Uber drivers over the past two weeks.

Metro Vancouver, Fraser Valley, Victoria brace for powerful winds

Residents of B.C.’s South Coast are being told to brace for strong winds.

A wind warning is in effect for Victoria and the West Coast of Vancouver Island, and special weather statements are in place for Metro Vancouver, the Southern Gulf Islands and Inland and Eastern Vancouver Island.

Environment Canada says the winds are the product of a low pressure system anticipated to arrive mid-day Friday and lingering until early Saturday morning.

Manitoba government warns of health card scam

The Manitoba government is warning people of a possible phone scam involving provincial health cards.

A member of the public received a call from an automated service asking for their personal information related to a problem with their health card.

Manitoba Health says it doesn’t use automated calls to contact the public about their health card.

The government warns recipients not to provide any personal information and report the call to local police.

Joe Walsh Ends Bid To Challenge Trump For White House

WASHINGTON (Reuters) — Joe Walsh, a conservative former U.S. congressman-turned-radio show host, has ended a long-shot bid to challenge President Donald Trump for the Republican Party’s presidential nomination.

He also said he would support a Democrat in November’s election.

“I can’t stop him (Trump) in a Republican primary, but I can sure do my level best to try to stop him …by bringing people together,” Walsh told CNN in an interview on Friday.

“Any Democrat would be better than Trump in the White House,” he said later.

Walsh was elected to a congressional seat in Illinois in 2010 as part of the right-wing Tea Party movement, a confrontational populist splinter group of the Republican Party. He lost his seat two years later to Democrat Tammy Duckworth and became a Chicago-area radio talk show host.

While less than half the country approves of Trump’s performance as president, he retains high support within the Republican party.

Former South Carolina lawmaker Mark Sanford ended his bid for the party’s nomination in November. Another Republican challenger, former Massachusetts Governor Bill Weld, has failed to gain traction in polls.

The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

(Reporting by Makini Brice and Susan Heavey; editing by John Stonestreet)